Musculoskeletal Pain and Vitamin D Deficiency in Children: A Pilot Follow-up Study of Vitamin D Therapy in Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic Conditions.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pediatric populations is high. In the present study we analyzed associations between vitamin D therapy and pain, mobility, fatigue, and daily functioning in children with musculoskeletal/orthopedic conditions suffering from chronic and recurrent pain, but also diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Children with different musculoskeletal/orthopedic conditions and vitamin D deficiency were prescribed to receive vitamin D over 6 months. Thirty-five children (18 males; age 10.48 ± 3.87 years) completed a 6-month follow-up. Self- and parent/proxy rating scales were used to evaluate pain, movement, fatigue, and daily functioning. RESULTS: At a six-month follow-up assessment involving child- and parent-reported scores, worst pain intensity significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.03) after vitamin D therapy, as well as functioning problems related to pain (p ≤ 0.01). The children reported better movement and balance with less fatigue. The parents reported better functioning in everyday activities of their children. CONCLUSION: This pilot study showed that vitamin D therapy possibly reduces pain intensity and improves mobility and daily functioning in children with musculoskeletal/orthopedic disorders, chronic recurrent pain, and vitamin D deficiency. Further follow-up and randomized studies are required in order to assess the validity of clinical recommendations.

Predictive value of transvaginal ultrasound score for detection of endometrial malignancy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound in detecting endometrial malignancy in peri-menopausal women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 100 perimenopausal women who had changes on the endometrium discovered through a regular ultrasound check-up and were referred to Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics "Narodni Front" in Belgrade during the period from September 1, 2012 to September 1, 2013. Transvaginal ultrasound was performed on each participant in the study. Parameters of the ultrasound examination composed a score system. RESULT: The results of regression analysis showed that this transvaginal ultrasound score have independent prognostic value for detection of endometrial malignancy. Score system showed that the value 8 had the best validity for the detection of endometrial malignity, with the sensitivity of 0.857 ind specificity of 0.785. CONCLUSION: The collected transvaginal ultrasound sample had high predictive value for the discovery of malign changes on endometrium.

Erectile dysfunction as a predictor of advanced vascular age.

Vascular age (VA) represents chronological age (CA) adjusted for individual's atherosclerotic burden. The presence of erectile dysfunction (ED) has been considered as a clinical sentinel of premature atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to explore the predictive value of ED in assessing the discrepancy between VA and CA. In the period from 1 January 2014 to 1 January 2015, all consecutive men referring to the outpatient departments of the Clinics of Urology and Cardiology in Belgrade (Serbia) were considered for enrolment in this cross-sectional study. General exclusion criteria were: age below 18, heart failure, history of myocardial infarction, impaired renal and liver function, acute infection, history of endocrine disease other than type 2 diabetes, pelvic surgery or trauma, and acute coronary syndrome within the last 6 months. According to the presence of ED, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and history of coronary artery disease participants were assigned into five study groups. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the predictive value of ED in detection of advanced VA. The mean age of males enrolled in the study was 52.9 ± 7.7 years. The predominance of VA over CA was statistically significantly higher in the group of participants with coexistence of ED and hypertension compared to the group of patients with ED and type 2 diabetes (p = 0.027) and the group of patients with ED (p = 0.014) and control group (p < 0.01). Regression analysis highlighted that ED represented a highly important marker (p < 0.01) of advanced VA, which independently accounted for 6.1% of the variance in the discrepancy between VA and CA. Our study suggests that assessment of ED could be a part of a more comprehensive prediction of patients' advanced VA. Screening among such a highly selected population may help identify those that would most benefit from drug treatments and life style changes.

The influence of obesity on abdominal cesarean section delivery.

AIM: The analyze the potential influence between obesity in pregnancy and the abdominal delivery-cesarean section and to establish the possibility of its prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study examined 200 patients, delivered by cesarean section in a one-year period. The study included a structured questionnaire; the body weight at the end of pregnancy was measured and it was analyzed against all available medicine documentation. Statistical analysis included: chi2 test, Student's t-test, and Fisher's test, as well the Pearson's and Spearman's test of correlation rank. RESULTS: From all 200 (100%) patients delivered by cesarean section, 67 (33.5%) were overweight and obese. Body mass index at the beginning of pregnancy was significantly associated with cesarean section (chi2 = 69.141; p < 0.001), along with the appearance of eventual pregnancy complications, and also with the neonatal birth weight (p = 0.224; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The nutritive status, both at the beginning and at the end of pregnancy is the important factor for the pregnancy outcome.

Epidemiology of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in the population of Belgrade, Serbia.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and 15-year survival in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). METHODS: The study covers the period from 1 January 1988 to 31 December 2007 in the territory of Belgrade. Data on a number of CMT-affected persons and their basic demographic characteristics as well as data on the disease were collected from medical records. Data on the course and outcome of the disease were obtained through direct contact with patients, their families and their physicians. RESULTS: We registered 161 patients with CMT in the population of Belgrade. The most frequent type was CMT1. The crude prevalence of CMT disease in the Belgrade population on 31 December 2007 was 9.7/100,000 for all subtypes, 7.1/100,000 for CMT1, and 2.3/100,000 for CMT2. Gender-specific prevalence was 11.2/100,000 for males and 8.3/100,000 for females. The highest age-specific prevalence was registered in the oldest age group (75+ years; 19.1/100,000), and the lowest one in patients aged 5-14 years (5.0/100,000). The cumulative probability of 15-year survival for CMT patients in Belgrade was 85.6 ± 7.8% (44.9 ± 31.8% for males and 98.2 ± 1.8% for females). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CMT found in Belgrade is similar to the prevalence registered in Southern European countries.