Baseline Characteristics of a Patient Cohort and Predictors of In-hospital MORtality in CORonary Care Units (MORCOR-TURK) Trial in Türkiye.

OBJECTIVE: The MORtality in CORonary Care Units in Türkiye (MORCOR-TURK) trial is a national registry evaluating predictors and rates of in-hospital mortality in coronary care unit (CCU) patients in Türkiye. This report describes the baseline demographic characteristics of patients recruited for the MORCOR-TURK trial. METHODS: The study is a multicenter, cross-sectional, prospective national registry that included 50 centers capable of 24-hour CCU service, selected from all seven geographic regions of Türkiye. All consecutive patients admitted to CCUs with cardiovascular emergencies between September 1-30, 2022, were prospectively enrolled. Baseline demographic characteristics, admission diagnoses, laboratory data, and cardiovascular risk factors were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 3,157 patients with a mean age of 65 years (range: 56-73) and 2,087 (66.1%) males were included in the analysis. Patients with arterial hypertension [1,864 patients (59%)], diabetes mellitus (DM) [1,184 (37.5%)], hyperlipidemia [1,120 (35.5%)], and smoking [1,093 (34.6%)] were noted. Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was the leading cause of admission [1,187 patients (37.6%)], followed by ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 742 patients (23.5%). Other frequent diagnoses included decompensated heart failure (HF) [339 patients (10.7%)] and arrhythmia [272 patients (8.6%)], respectively. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was the most common pathological rhythm [442 patients (14%)], and chest pain was the most common primary complaint [2,173 patients (68.8%)]. CONCLUSION: The most common admission diagnosis was acute coronary syndrome (ACS), particularly NSTEMI. Hypertension and DM were found to be the two leading risk factors, and AF was the most commonly seen pathological rhythm in all hospitalized patients. These findings may be useful in understanding the characteristics of patients admitted to CCUs and thus in taking precautions to decrease CCU admissions.

The Effect of Computerized Wobble Board and Core Stabilization Exercises on Balance Performance and Exercise Capacity in Patients with Heart Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of computerized wobble board exercise training (CWBET) and core stabilization exercise training (CSET) on balance performance, and exercise capacity in heart failure (HF) patients. DESING: Single-blind randomized controlled prospective study. SETTING: Cardiology department of a local university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-one patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, whose clinical status and medication had been stable for the previous three months, were included. 9 patients could not complete the follow-up period due to personal reasons. No patient experienced any adverse events during exercise training. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to CWBET, CSET and control group. CWBET and CSET groups participated in their own exercise programs, 3 days a week for 8 weeks. The control group received no exercise program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All patients were evaluated at baseline and after 8 weeks. Postural stability, static and functional balance, and exercise capacity were evaluated with the Sensamove Balance Test Pro with Miniboard, the one- leg stance test (OLS), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the six-minute walk distance (6MWD), respectively. Core stabilization and health related quality of life (HRQOL) were assessed with OCTOcore app, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, respectively. RESULTS: A mixed model repeated measure ANOVA revealed significant group × time interaction effect for static postural stability performance (p<0.001, ηp2 =0.472), vertical (p<0.001, ηp2 =0.513), horizontal performance (p<0.001, ηp2 =0.467), OLS (p<0.001, ηp2 =0.474), BBS (p<0.001, ηp2 =0.440) scores, 6MWD (p<0.001, ηp2 =0.706) and HRQOL. Post-hoc analysis revealed CWBET and CSET groups had similar improvements balance performance, exercise capacity and HRQOL and both groups significantly improved compared to control group (p<0.001). Core stabilization was significantly improved only in CSET group after 8 weeks. CONCLUSION: CWBET and CSET programs were equally effective and safe for improving balance performance and exercise capacity in patients with HF.

The Relationship Between Coronary Collateral Circulation and Serum Adropin Levels.

Objective Coronary collateral circulation (CCC) are vascular structures that limit the infarct area, protect left ventricular function, and reduce the frequency of arrhythmia and mortality during myocardial ischemia and infarction. In this study, we examined the relationship between the development of CCC and serum adropin levels, which has been shown in previous studies to regulate endothelial functions and increase endothelial nitric oxide synthesis, in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Methods This study included 41 patients with insufficient CCC and 43 patients with well-developed CCC who were hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction and underwent coronary angiography. The Cohen-Rentrop classification was used to grade the CCC. The patients were divided into two groups according to Rentrop grades: those with a 0-1 stage were considered as insufficient and those with grades of 2-3 were considered as well-developed CCC. We took blood samples to measure the adropin levels within the first 24 hours of hospitalization. Results The mean age was 59.1±11.9 years and 62 (73.8%) were male. The right coronary artery was the most frequently target vessel (n: 51, 60.7%), and the majority of the patients presented with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (n:58, 69%). The median interval between the severe chest pain and the intervention was significantly higher in patients with well-developed CCC (p=0.042). The serum adropin levels in patients with insufficient CCC were significantly lower than in those with well-developed CCC (196.3 [131.5 - 837.0] pg/mL vs. 235.5 [171.9 - 1124.2] pg/mL, p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the circumflex artery as the target vessel, NSTEMI (non-STEMI) as the type of myocardial infarction, and serum adropin level were the independent risk factors for the prediction of poor coronary collateral vessel formation (p<0.05). Conclusions In this study, we found that in patients with acute myocardial infarction, those with well-developed CCC had higher adropin levels.

Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease Using Machine Learning Techniques with Iris Analysis.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) occurs when the coronary vessels become hardened and narrowed, limiting blood flow to the heart muscles. It is the most common type of heart disease and has the highest mortality rate. Early diagnosis of CAD can prevent the disease from progressing and can make treatment easier. Optimal treatment, in addition to the early detection of CAD, can improve the prognosis for these patients. This study proposes a new method for non-invasive diagnosis of CAD using iris images. In this study, iridology, a method of analyzing the iris to diagnose health conditions, was combined with image processing techniques to detect the disease in a total of 198 volunteers, 94 with CAD and 104 without. The iris was transformed into a rectangular format using the integral differential operator and the rubber sheet methods, and the heart region was cropped according to the iris map. Features were extracted using wavelet transform, first-order statistical analysis, a Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM), and a Gray Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM). The model's performance was evaluated based on accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, score, mean, and Area Under the Curve (AUC) metrics. The proposed model has a 93% accuracy rate for predicting CAD using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. With the proposed method, coronary artery disease can be preliminarily diagnosed by iris analysis without needing electrocardiography, echocardiography, and effort tests. Additionally, the proposed method can be easily used to support telediagnosis applications for coronary artery disease in integrated telemedicine systems.

Influence of Intermittent Fasting During Ramadan on Circadian Variation of Symptom-Onset and Prehospital Time Delay in Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Ramadan interferes with circadian rhythms mainly by disturbing the routine patterns of feeding and smoking. The objective of this study was to investigate the circadian pattern of ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the month of Ramadan. We studied consecutive STEMI patients 1 month before and after Ramadan (non-Ramadan group-NRG) and during Ramadan (Ramadan group-RG). The RG group was also divided into two groups, based on whether they chose to fast: fasting (FG) and non-fasting group (NFG). The time of STEMI onset was compared. A total of 742 consecutive STEMI patients were classified into 4 groups by 6 h intervals according to time-of-day at symptom onset. No consistent circadian variation in the onset of STEMI was observed both between the RG (P = .938) and NRG (P = .766) or between the FG (P = .232) and NFG (P = .523). When analyzed for subgroups of the study sample, neither smoking nor diabetes showed circadian rhythm. There was a trend towards a delay from symptom onset to hospital presentation, particularly at evening hours in the RG compared with the control group. In conclusion, there was no significant difference in STEMI onset time, but the time from symptom onset to hospital admission was significantly delayed during Ramadan.

Incidence and Predictors of Left Ventricular Thrombus Formation After Acute Myocardial Infarction With ST-Segment Elevation.

Background and objective Our prospective study aimed to evaluate the frequency and risk factors of left ventricular thrombus (LVT) occurring after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods Our study included 131 patients diagnosed with acute STEMI who were followed up and treated. The presence of the thrombus was determined by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Study patients were evaluated as cases of thrombus (+) and thrombus (-). The relationship of electrocardiographic measurements such as the number of leads with pathological Q waves, ST segment deviation score, QT dispersion, and echocardiographic measurements such as ejection fraction (EF), end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes, and wall motion score index (WMSI) with LVT was investigated. LVT risk factors were identified. Results The median age of the study patients was 59.7 ± 11.7 years, and 84.7% were male. The incidence of LVT was 17.6% (23 patients). While the anterior STEMI rate was 86.9% in the thrombus (+) group, it was 50.9% in the thrombus (-) group (p<0.001). While WMSI was 2.1 ± 0.44 in the thrombus (+) group, it was calculated as 1.40 ± 0.31 in the thrombus (-) group (p<0.001). In the thrombus (+) group, EF was found to be lower, end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes were higher, and the rate of moderate and severe mitral regurgitation and the rate of aneurysmatic segment detection were higher. LVT had a moderate correlation with WMSI (r: 0.613; p<0.001), the presence of an aneurysmatic segment (r: 0.549; p<0.001), and EF (r: -0.514; p<0.001). Presentation with anterior STEMI (odds ratio [OR]: 4.266; p<0.001), WMSI (OR: 7.971; p=0.012), the number of leads with pathological Q waves detected at discharge (OR: 3.651; p=0.009), the presence of an aneurysmatic segment (OR: 2.089, p=0.009), and EF (OR: 1.129, p=0.006) were identified as independent risk factors of the presence of LVT. The area under the curve for WMSI was found to be 0.910 (95% CI: 0.852-0.968). A WMSI cut-off of 1.56 identified LVT with 91% sensitivity and 70% specificity (Youden index: 0.617). Conclusion In the primary PCI era, LVT incidence after acute STEMI is still significant. Anterior STEMI, the number of leads with pathological Q waves detected at discharge, WMSI, aneurysm formation, and low EF are independent risk factors for LVT. Among these risk factors, the variable with the highest diagnostic power is WMSI.

A New Marker for Determining Cardiovascular Risk: Salusin Alpha.

Background and objective Prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) is possible with early recognition of individuals at risk. Salusin alpha is an endogenous bioactive peptide with anti-atherogenic properties. We aimed to reveal the relationship between salusin alpha levels and cardiovascular (CV) risk using the Systematic COronary Risk Estimation 2 (SCORE2) and Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE) algorithms. Methods A total of 137 asymptomatic outpatients were included in the study. The participants were divided into four quartile groups according to the distribution of salusin alpha levels: Q1 (n = 34), Q2 (n = 35), Q3 (n = 34), and Q4 (n = 34). The relationships of salusin alpha with cardiovascular risk scores and groups were investigated. Results The means of SCORE2 and PCE risk scores (11.24 ± 1.24 and 13.30 ± 1.71, respectively; p < 0.001 for both), baseline scores in the presence of SCORE2 and PCE optimal risk factors (4.82 ± 0.71 (p = 0.034); 4.20 ± 0.77 (p = 0.010)), and means of Δ SCORE2 and Δ PCE risk score (6.41 ± 0.67 and 9.10 ± 1.10, respectively; p < 0.001 for both) were significantly higher in the Q1 group. The SCORE2 "very high" cardiovascular (CV) risk group was significantly represented in the Q1 group (n = 17 (50%)), while the "low-moderate" risk group was more heavily represented in the Q4 group (n = 15 (44.1%)) (p < 0.001). The PCE "high" CV risk group was significantly represented in the Q1 group (n = 9 (26.5%)), while the "low" risk group was more intensely represented in the Q4 group (n = 20 (58.8%)) (p < 0.001). Salusin alpha had a significantly negative moderate correlation with SCORE2 and PCE risk scores. As a result of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, it was found that salusin alpha had significant diagnostic power in the prediction of CV risk groups determined by SCORE2 and PCE risk scores. Salusin alpha was observed to be a risk-reducing factor in SCORE2 and PCE CV risk groups (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 0.989 (0.982-0.997) (p = 0.002) and OR (95% CI): 0.988 (0.978-0.998) (p = 0.009) respectively). Conclusion Salusin alpha has a negative correlation with SCORE2 and PCE risk scores. It has significant diagnostic power in the prediction of CV risk groups and is an independent variable that has a risk-reducing effect in the distribution of risk groups.

Effect of Sodium-Glucose Co-transporter-2 Inhibitors on Ventricular Repolarization Markers in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors added to optimal medical therapy have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and recurrent heart failure (HF) hospitalization in HF patients. We aimed to evaluate the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors on the ventricular repolarization markers (VRM) in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: 51 patients with HFrEF who had symptoms New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV despite optimal medical treatment and were added SGLT2 inhibitors to their treatment were included in the study. Electrocardiography (ECG) and laboratory results obtained before the treatment and at the first-month follow-up visit were compared. QT, QTc (corrected by Bazett formula), QT dispersion (QTd), QTc dispersion (QTc-d), Tpeak to Tend (Tp-e) interval, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/QTc ratios were measured and defined as VRM. RESULTS: A significant decrease was observed in HR, QT, QTc intervals, and QTd compared to pre-treatment. While the mean Tp-e interval was 101.5 ± 11.7 ms before treatment, it decreased to 93.1 ± 12.7 ms after treatment (p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels after treatment [2859 ± 681vs.1266 ± 763, respectively (p < 0.001)] and QTd, Tp-e interval, and Tp-e/QTc ratio was positively correlated with the change in NT-proBNP level. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of SGLT2 inhibitors to optimal medical therapy in HFrEF patients positively changes VRM (QT, QTc, QTd, Tp-e, and Tp-e/QTc).

The Predictive Value of Eosinophil Indices for Major Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Acute Decompensated HFrEF.

Background and Objectives: Heart failure is a chronic disease with a high risk of mortality and morbidity. In these patients, inflammatory markers have been shown to be associated with cardiovascular adverse outcomes and disease progression. To investigate the relationships between eosinophil indices and major cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) with reduced ejection fraction. Materials and Methods: A total of 395 consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with ADHF and reduced ejection fraction between January 2017 and December 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study. MACE was defined as the composite of death and re-hospitalization for ADHF within 6 months of index hospitalization. All-cause mortality and MACE were assessed with respect to relationships with eosinophil indices, including neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio (NER), leukocyte-to-eosinophil ratio (LER), eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (ELR), and eosinophil-to-monocyte ratio (EMR). Results: NER and LER were significantly higher in subjects with MACE. Absolute eosinophil, lymphocyte and basophil count, hemoglobin, serum Na+, albumin, and CRP, and EMR and ELR were significantly lower in subjects with MACE compared to those without. NT-proBNP (OR: 1.682, 95% CI: 1.106−2.312, p = 0.001), Na+ (OR: 0.932, 95% CI: 0.897−0.969, p < 0.001), NER (OR: 2.740, 95 % CI: 1.797−4.177, p < 0.001), LER (OR: 2.705, 95% CI: 1.752−4.176, p < 0.001), EMR (OR:1.654, 95% CI 1.123−2.436, p = 0.011), ELR (OR: 2.112, 95% CI 1.424−3.134, p < 0.001), and eosinophil count (OR: 1.833, 95% CI 1.276−2.635) were independent predictors for development of MACE. Conclusions: Patients with ADHF and reduced ejection fraction who developed MACE within the first six months of index hospitalization had lower levels of absolute eosinophil and lymphocyte counts, and EMR and ELR values, whereas NER and LER were higher compared to those without MACE. The eosinophil indices were independently associated with mortality and MACE development. The eosinophil indices may be used to estimate MACE likelihood with acceptable sensitivity and specificity.

The relationship between vitamin B12 levels and electrocardiographic ventricular repolarization markers.

Introduction: Background: it has been shown that vitamin B12 deficiency, which can cause hematological and neuropsychiatric disorders, may also be associated with cardiac autonomic dysfunction, heart rate variability, endothelial dysfunction, and a decrease in myocardial deformation. Aims: the aim of our study is to evaluate the relationship between vitamin B12 levels and electrocardiographic repolarization disorders, which are indicators of arrhythmogenic predisposition in healthy individuals. Methods: our study population consisted of 214 healthy adults. Considering the distribution of vitamin B12 levels and accepting 25 % and 75 % percentiles as the cut-off values, the participants were divided into 3 groups. Laboratory, echocardiography and electrocardiography (ECG) measurements were compared between three groups. ECG measurements were performed manually and Tpeak-Tend (Tp-e), Tp-e corrected (Tp-ec), QT and QT corrected (QTc) intervals were calculated. Results: the patients in Group 1 (vitamin B12 < 253 pg/ml) were found to have significantly higher QT and QTc dispersions, Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios when compared to those in Group 2 (253 pg/ml < vitamin B12 > 436 pg/ml) and Group 3 (vitamin B12 > 436 pg/ml). On the other hand, a negative significant correlation was detected between vitamin B12 levels and Tp-e, Tp-e/QT, Tp-e/QTc ratios, QT and QTc dispersions. Conclusion: a low level of vitamin B12 in healthy individuals can be a significant indicator of arrhythmogenic susceptibility. A close follow-up of these subjects in terms of arrhythmogenic predisposition can be useful.

Introducción: Fundamento: se ha demostrado que la deficiencia de vitamina B12, que puede causar trastornos hematológicos y neuropsiquiátricos, también puede estar asociada con disfunción autonómica cardíaca, variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca, disfunción endotelial y disminución de la deformación miocárdica. Objetivos: el objetivo de nuestro estudio es evaluar la relación entre los niveles de vitamina B12 y los trastornos de repolarización electrocardiográfica que son indicadores de predisposición arritmogénica en individuos sanos. Métodos: la población del estudio fue de 214 adultos sanos. Considerando la distribución de los niveles de vitamina B12 y aceptando los percentiles del 25 % y 75 % como valores de corte, los participantes se dividieron en 3 grupos. Se compararon las mediciones de laboratorio, ecocardiografía y electrocardiografía (ECG) entre tres grupos. Las mediciones del ECG se realizaron manualmente y se calcularon los intervalos Tpeak-Tend (Tp-e), Tp-e corregido (Tp-ec), QT y QT corregido (QTc). Resultados: se encontró que los pacientes del grupo 1 (vitamina B12 < 253 pg/ml) tenían dispersiones QT y QTc, intervalo Tp-e, cocientes Tp-e/QT y Tp-e/QTc significativamente más altos cuando se compararon con los del grupo 2 (253 pg/ml < vitamina B12 > 436 pg/ml) y el grupo 3 (vitamina B12 > 436 pg/ml). Por otro lado, se detectó una correlación significativa negativa entre los niveles de vitamina B12 y las relaciones Tp-e, Tp-e/QT, Tp-e/QTc, dispersiones QT y QTc. Conclusión: el bajo nivel de vitamina B12 en los individuos sanos puede ser un indicador significativo de susceptibilidad arritmogénica. Un seguimiento estrecho de estos sujetos en términos de predisposición arritmogénica podría ser útil.

Surgical treatment of bronchiectasis: Our 23 years of experience.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the success of surgery and a complete resection for bronchiectasis treatment and to present our 23 years of surgical experience. METHODS: Between January 1991 and December 2013, a total of 1,357 patients (667 males, 690 females; mean age 30.5±14.3 years; range, 3 to 73 years) with the diagnosis of bronchiectasis who underwent pulmonary resection in our clinic were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, etiologies, symptoms, localizations, surgical procedures, and long-term follow-up results were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 1,394 surgeries, as 37 (2.7%) patients had bilateral disease. The surgical procedures included lobectomy (n=702, 50.3%), pneumonectomy (n=183, 13.1%), segmental resections (n=114, 8.2%), bilobectomy (n=83, 6.0%), and lobectomy + segmentectomy (n=312, 22.4%). During the postoperative period, 1,269 (93.5%) patients were followed at a mean duration of 51.6 (range, 1 to 120) months. After surgery, 774 (61%) patients were asymptomatic, 456 (35.9%) showed an improvement, and 39 (3.1%) had no response or deterioration. CONCLUSION: The surgical treatment plays an important role in the clinical and symptomatic improvement of patients with bronchiectasis. Surgery reduces the morbidity and mortality rates with careful preoperative preparation and appropriately selected cases.

Management of Massive Hemoptysis: Analyses of 58 Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to describe changing patterns of etiological factors and treatment modalities for massive hemoptysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 2008-December 2012, the medical records of 58 massive hemoptysis patients were reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients, 44 were men (75.9%) and 14 were women (24.1%), with a mean age of 51.4 years (range= 19-84 years), were divided into three groups; surgical management (n= 37, 63.8%), conservative management (n= 14, 24.1%) and bronchial artery embolization (n= 6, 10.4%). One case (1.7%) had combined treatment modality; bronchial artery embolization was followed by surgical resection. Anatomical lung resections were the most preferred resection type in the surgical management group (n= 34, 91.9%). The most common etiological factor was bronchiectasis (n= 19, 32.8%); followed by bronchial cancer (n= 14, 24.1%). The duration of hospitalization in the surgical management group was 11.4 days (range= 4-24); whereas in the bronchial artery embolization group, hospitalization was only four days (range= 2-7) (p< 0.01). Prolonged air leak (n= 7; 18.9%) was the most common complication in the surgical management group. CONCLUSION: We emphasize that bronchiectasis was leading cause of massive hemoptysis. Surgical treatment remains the definitive therapy in the management of massive hemoptysis with decreased mortality rates over decades; whereas bronchial artery embolization is an effective therapeutic tool.

Is surgical plication necessary in diaphragm eventration?

BACKGROUND: Diaphragm plication surgery is conducted to remove dyspnea, which results from mediastinal shift, atelectasia, and ventilation/perfusion dyssynchrony in lungs that occur because of an eventrated diaphragm. This study aims to determine whether diaphragm plication has any effect on respiration by analyzing the patients' changing values in the respiratory function test (RFT) after plication surgery. METHODS: Sixteen patients who underwent diaphragm plication surgery in our clinic because of plication eventration or paralysis were examined prospectively. Diaphragm eventration values were assessed using a calculation method that uses posteroanterior pulmonary radiographies taken during patient admission and control; then, these data were recorded. The amount of changes in the eventration levels and in restrictive respiratory failure parameters-forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) of RFTs-conducted in pre- and postoperative control periods were compared using statistical analysis methods. The compatibility between the amounts of RFT changes was examined through a satisfaction survey-using a questionnaire that consisted of multiple choice questions with answer options such as "better," "the same," and "worse"-to understand preoperative and postoperative symptom levels in the 12(th) month of postoperative control. RESULTS: According to postoperative levels, a decrease between 19% and 23% was observed in eventration amounts within the 1(st) postoperative month, 6(th) postoperative month, and 12(th) postoperative month. In addition, the highest average increase in FEV1 liter (lt) values was 0.2 lt and 0.25 in FVC (lt) values. CONCLUSION: Researchers of this study believe that more distinctive decisions need to be taken while identifying patients for surgery in unilateral diaphragm eventrations, especially in the adult patient group; surgical option should be used for cases in which the eventrated diaphragm results in mediastinal shift and respiratory failure.

Use of FDG PET/CT in Patients with Pancoast Tumors: Does It Add Any Contribution to Patient Management?

PURPOSE: To evaluate any potential value of 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose with positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (FDG PET/CT) in staging of patients with Pancoast tumors and to investigate the relationship between volume-based quantitative PET parameters and prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed data of the 47 patients with Pancoast tumors who underwent initial staging by conventional imaging methods and FDG PET/CT. FDG-PET images were visually and quantitatively evaluated, and metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis, and maximum standardized uptake values of primary tumors were calculated. The correlations between quantitative PET parameters and tumor stages, as well as overall survival, were analyzed. RESULTS: By detecting unknown distant metastasis, PET/CT upstaged 21% of patients. The sensitivity and specificity for detection of lymphatic involvement were 100% and 83.75%, respectively. Having surgery (p = 0.01) and being at an early stage (p = 0.004) were the most predictive factors for overall survival. Although there was no significant correlation between quantitative PET parameters and overall survival, MTV was the most powerful discriminator for operability and preoperative staging (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: FDG-PET imaging was found to be a valuable method for an accurate staging in the management of patients with Pancoast tumor. Having surgery and being at an early stage at presentation were found to be significant predictors for survival. Quantitative metabolic parameters may contribute to clarification of operable patient subgroups having an early disease stage with low MTV.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts coronary artery lesion complexity and mortality after non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory mechanisms are known to play an important role in coronary artery disease. The present study aimed to investigate the importance of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in terms of in-hospital mortality and its association with currently used risk scores in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). METHODS: Three hundred and seventeen patients with NSTE-ACS were included. The patients were divided into tertiles according to their NLR values (NLR <2.6, NLR=2.6-4.5, and NLR >4.5). Clinical and angiographic risk was evaluated by the SYNTAX and GRACE risk scores. RESULTS: The GRACE risk score was significantly higher in the group with high NLR values compared to those with moderate or low NLR (161.5±40.3, 130.5±32.3, and 123.9±34.3, respectively, p<0.001). Similarly, the SYNTAX score was significantly higher in the group with high NLR values (20.4±10.1, 15.5±10.5, and 13.4±7.8, respectively, p=0.003). Moreover, both GRACE (r=0.457, p<0.001) and SYNTAX scores (r=0.253, p=0.001) showed a significant positive correlation with NLR. CONCLUSION: NLR has been found to be correlated with clinical and angiographic risk scores. Low NLR might be a good predictor for low in-hospital mortality and simple coronary anatomy in NSTE-ACS patients.

A strange bullet which caused chylomediastinum and chyloptysis.

Chyloptysis and chylomediastinum are uncommon complications of various kinds of thoracic operations, malign and nonmalign diseases. In the English language medical literature, there were no cases of both chylomediastinum and chyloptysis following trauma. We discuss a case of chylomediastinum and chyloptysis after penetrating trauma. The patient sustained a bullet wound that caused chylomediastinum and chyloptysis without damaging major structures apart from the thoracic duct in the mediastinum. Following surgical intervention, the patient has remained problem-free for 5 months.

Treatment of persistent postpneumonectomy empyema by vacuum-assisted management: an analysis of nine patients.

BACKGROUND: Conventional treatment methods in postpneumonectomy empyemas (PPE) are associated with long stay in hospital, poor patient comfort, and high rate of postoperative mortality. Vacuum-assisted management (VAM) may be helpful in solving these problems. METHODS: VAM was performed on nine patients with PPE in our clinic between July 2010 and September 2011 to provide continuous drainage of empyema in the pouch and to improve empyema with obliteration of the pouch by accelerating tissue granulation. RESULTS: All nine patients were men (mean age: 54.5 years; range: 18-68 years). Empyema resolution and obliteration of the pouch were achieved with VAM in the cases with empyema without fistula (n = 7) after the pneumonectomy. In the patients with fistula (n = 2), VAM was performed after closure of the fistula. Mean duration of hospital stay was 36.5 (12-57) days. The treatment was successful in eight of nine patients (88.9%). Mean duration of follow-up in the successfully treated patients was 10.9 (3-17) months. CONCLUSION: Intrathoracic VAM was effective and safe in the treatment of PPE.

A rare case of hemoptysis: intrapulmonary cavitary lesion appearing as a thoracic endometriosis.

Pulmonary endometriosis is a rarely seen disease of the lung. On computed tomography, a cavitary lesion of 15 × 26 in size was detected in the lung parenchyma of a 38-year-old female patient who was examined due to hemoptysis. The pathologic result of the surgically excised cavitary lesion was reported as pulmonary endometriosis.

Small cell osteosarcoma of rib: diagnosis and treatment of the rare case.

Small cell osteosarcomas are very rare tumors which are classified as the component of Ewing's sarcoma family. Although the tumor generally is seen on long bones, short bone involvement is rare. Moreover, rib localization is quite uncommon and to the best of our knowledge, only one case has been reported so far. Herein, we described a case of rib-localized small cell osteosarcomas which was only presented with localized left sided pain. Resection surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy was performed. Clinico-pathological features and therapeutic approach are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.