Baseline serum vitamin A and vitamin C levels and their association with disease severity in COVID-19 patients.

AIM: We aimed to investigate the association between the serum concentrations of Vitamin A and Vitamin C and the severity of the COVID-19.  Methods: Fifty-three consecutive PCR (+) COVID-19 patients admitted to a dedicated ward were enrolled in this study. Blood samples for serum Vitamin A and C measurements were drawn from all participants upon admission. All subjects underwent thoracic CT imaging prior to hospitalization. CT severity score (CT-SS) was then calculated for determining the extent of pulmonary involvement. A group of healthy volunteers, in whom COVID-19 was ruled out, were assigned to the control group (n=26). These groups were compared by demographic features and serum vitamin A and C levels. The relationship between serum concentrations of these vitamins and pre-defined outcome measures, CT-SS and length of hospitalization (LOH), was also assessed.  Results: In COVID-19 patients, serum Vitamin A (ng/ml, 494±96 vs. 698±93; p<0.001) and Vitamin C (ng/ml, 2961 [1991-31718] vs. 3953 [1385-8779]; p=0.007) levels were significantly lower with respect to healthy controls. According to the results of correlation analyses, there was a significant negative association between Vitamin A level and outcome measures (LOH, r=-0.293; p=0.009 and CT-SS, r=-0.289; p=0.010). The negative correlations between Vitamin C level and those measures were even more prominent (LOH, r=-0.478; p<0.001 and CT-SS, r=-0.734: p<0.001). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 patients had lower baseline serum Vitamin A and Vitamin C levels as compared to healthy controls. In subjects with COVID-19, Vitamin A and Vitamin C levels were negatively correlated with CT-SS and LOH.

Incidentally Detected Gastrointestinal Wall Thickness on Abdominal Computed Tomography; What Does it Mean for Endoscopy?

BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of gastrointestinal wall thickening (GWT) on abdominal computed tomography (CT) is not certain, yet. Despite the need for clinical guidelines describing the importance and evaluation of GWT on a CT scan, there have been few studies evaluating these incidental imaging abnormalities. The aim of this study is to endoscopically evaluate certain etiologies that cause incidental GWT found on CT. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was carried out with patients who had incidentally detected GWT on a CT scan at the Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital between February 2016 and December 2018. RESULTS: A total of 129 patients (62 males and 67 females; mean age 57.5 years, range: 26-87 years) were included in the study. Abnormalities observed during endoscopy at the exact site of the GWT noted on a CT image were found in 114 patients (99%): upper endoscopy revealed malignancy in 33 (29%), gastritis in 63 (52%), hiatal hernia in 19 (16%), a gastric ulcer in 7 (6%), and alkaline gastritis in 3 (2%). Colonoscopy revealed malignancy in 4 (33%), benign polyps in 5 (35%), colonic ulcer in 2 (16%), and 2 patients (16%) had normal findings. Malignancy was detected more frequently in the cardioesophageal region compared with the antrum (P=0.020). CONCLUSION: In this study, detection of GWT on CT often indicated pathologies which were subsequently confirmed endoscopically. Pathological findings were detected in 83% of these patients, with approximately 30% determined to be malignant. Endoscopic evaluation is recommended when GWT is reported on a CT scan.

Minimally Invasive Parathyroidectomy: Are Auxiliary Methods Necessary?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the success rate of minimally invasive parathyroidectomies (MIPs) with preoperative scintigraphy and ultrasonography, and to assess whether these imaging modalities are sufficient. STUDY DESIGN:  Observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY:   Department of General Surgery, University of Health Sciences, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey between March 2017 and December 2019. METHODOLOGY: Medical records of 61 patients, who underwent MIP to treat primary hyperparathyroidism, were examined. Age, gender, and pre- and postoperative calcium, parathormone, and phosphorus levels were obtained from patient records. For all patients, the parathyroid (PT) glands were localised, using ultrasonography and Tc-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) scintigraphy. RESULTS:  The average patient age was 56.89 ± 13.47 years. Of the patients, 83.6% (n = 51) were females. Localisation of the PT glands with preoperative scintigraphy had an accuracy rate of 100%. However, ultrasonographic localisation was unsuccessful in five patients. Adenomas were noted in 44 patients (72.1%), hyperplasia in 15 patients (24.6%), and neoplasia in two patients (3.3%). Serum parathormone and calcium levels were measured 24 hours after surgery, and were found to be significantly reduced compared to the corresponding preoperative levels (p <0.001). Hypocalcaemia developed in four patients (6.6%), two (3.3%) of which were symptomatic. After three months, persistent hyperparathyroidism developed in five patients (8.2%). CONCLUSION: Parathyroid scintigraphy has been demonstrated to be the gold standard for the preoperative localisation of PT glands. In the absence of scintigraphy, ultrasound guidance is the next useful technique for PT gland localisation. Key Words: Minimal invasive parathyroidectomy, Parathyroid scintigraphy, Ultrasonography, Parathormone.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy instead of laparoscopy to treat acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic period: single center experience.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the accepted standard treatment for acute cholecystitis (AC) in patients eligible for surgery. Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) can provide a permanent treatment for high-risk patients for surgery or act as a bridge for later surgical treatment. This study is an evaluation of the use of PC during the current coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at a single hospital. METHODS: Fifty patients with AC were admitted as of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey through June 2020. Patients with pancreatitis, cholangitis, and/or incomplete data were excluded from the study. Data of the remaining 36 patients included in the study were recorded and a descriptive statistical analysis was performed. The patients were divided into three groups: PC (n=14), only conservative treatment with antibiotherapy (OC) (n=14), and LC (n=8). The findings were compared with a group of 70 similar patients from the pre-pandemic period. RESULTS: The mean age of the pandemic period patients was 53 years (range: 26-78 years). The female/male ratio was 1.11. PC was preferred in eight (11%) patients in the same period of the previous year, whereas 14 (39%) patients underwent PC in the pandemic period. Four of the 36 pandemic patients were positive for COVID-19, including one member of the PC group. There was one (7.1%) mortality in the pandemic-period PC group due to cardiac arrest. The length of hospital stay between the groups based on the type of treatment was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: LC is not recommended during the pandemic period; PC can be an effective and safe alternative for the treatment of AC.

New Anthropometric Measurements: Relationship to Thyroid Functions in Euthyroid Obese Subjects.

Introduction Body mass index (BMI) is unable to make a distinction between muscle mass and fat mass. Therefore, new anthropometric measurements, such as a body shape index (ABSI), body round index (BRI), and body adiposity index (BAI), have been formulated in recent years. Many studies have reported a correlation between BMI and thyroid function. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the above-mentioned new anthropometric measurements and thyroid functions in euthyroid obese subjects. Methods We included 675 euthyroid (TSH ≥ 0.4 and < 4.5 mIU/l) individuals from the obesity outpatient clinic, aged between 18 and 65 years old, with BMI ≥ 30. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (fT4) and free T3 (fT3), anthropometric measurements (weight, height, and waist circumference), and bioelectric impedance analyses [percent body fat (PBF) and fat-free mass (FFM)] of individuals were measured and recorded. ABSI, BRI, and BAI were calculated with the data from these measurements. Anthropometric measurements were compared to thyroid function tests. Results Eighty percent of the subjects were female. The mean age and BMI were 38 ± 17 years and 38 ± 6 kg/m2, respectively. TSH was found to be negatively correlated with ABSI (p = 0.006) and positively correlated with BAI (p < 0.001), but a statistically significant relationship with BRI (p = 0.193) was not determined. Free T4 was not associated with any of the anthropometric measurements.While fT3 was determined to be positively correlated with ABSI (p = 0.008) and negatively correlated with PBF and BAI (p = 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively), no statistically significant relationship with fT3 and BRI was determined. Conclusion TSH is positively correlated with measurements of adiposity such as BMI, PBF, BAI while indexes in which abdominal obesity increases, such as waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and ABSI, are correlated with fT3 levels.

The effect of parathyroidectomy on quality of life in primary hyperparathyroidism: evaluation with using sf-36 and phpqol questionnaire.

Quality of life (QoL) typically improves with a parathyroidectomy (PTx) in cases of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), but the effect of surgery on QoL is not yet fully understood. This study evaluated the impact of PTx on health-related QoL (HRQoL). Patients who underwent PTx for PHPT between January 2016 and December 2019 were asked to complete the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Primary Hyperparathyroidism Quality of Life (PHPQoL) questionnaire before surgery and 1 year later. A 5-point Likert scale was used: negative responses received a lower score and positive responses scored high. Forty-one of 50 patients completed the questionnaires before and 12 months after the surgery. The median patient age was 64 years (min-max: 32-83 years). In the study group, 33 were female, and 8 were male. The SF-36 results indicated that significant improvements had been observed in all 8 domains a year after surgery, particularly in the physical functioning and role, general health, energy, and mental health scales. The PHPQoL scores also improved significantly after PTx (p < 0.05). The improvement in the physical and mental health components was 50% and 76%, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that PTx for PHPT improved QoL.

Different approaches in diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis: Results of attitude survey.

BACKGROUND: Acute biliary pancreatitis is one of the most frequently encountered diseases among general surgeons in emergency surgical diseases. Differences in diagnosis and treatment management of these patients, varying from physician to physician, are common in clinical practice. We aimed to present these differences and discuss the results in the light of current guidelines in the literature. METHODS: In this study, 21 questions were prepared regarding the physicians' approach in the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis (Appendix).The questionnaires were completed by face to face interviews with 94 general surgery specialists at the 20th National Surgery Congress. RESULTS: In this study, 38 (40%) of the physicians who answered the questionnaire were working in the Training and Research Hospital, 27 (29%) in the State Hospital, 19 (20%) in the University Hospital and nine in private health care was working in the establishment. 85% of the physicians were general surgery specialists with 10 years of experience. 53% (50) of the surgeons reported that they had less than five cases of acute biliary pancreatitis each month, and 35% (34) stated that they wanted amylase value daily for follow-up. Ultrasonography and computed tomography were the most commonly used imaging modalities and 15% of the respondents indicated that each patient underwent magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. 45% of surgeons stated that antibiotics were started at the time of diagnosis of pancreatitis. The percentage of surgeons who did not undergo cholecystectomy early in patients with mild to moderate pancreatitis was 60%. The reason for not preferring surgery in the early period was the most frequent operation difficulty with 40% and not supporting the operation in the early period. CONCLUSION: According to the attitude survey results, there are differences between general surgery specialists in the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis.

Night Eating Syndrome According to Obesity Groups and the Related Factors.

OBJECTIVE: To find the frequency of night eating syndrome (NES) in different obesity groups and to determine related factors. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Family Medicine, Outpatient Clinics, University of Health Sciences, Kartal Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Training and Research Hospital from December 2018 to January 2019. METHODOLOGY: Participants were divided into class I, class II, and class III obesity groups according to their BMI levels and administered a survey evaluating their sociodemographic features and a NES questionnaire. RESULTS: NES was detected in 92 (21.85%) of all participants; whereas, 28 participants (18.67%) of class I obesity group, 32 participants (22.70%) of class II obesity group and 32 participants (24.62%) of class III obesity group had NES (p=0.465). There was no significant difference between individuals with and without NES in terms of age, gender, marital status, income level, occupational status, presence of children, living-together subjects, cigarette consumption, BMI, waist-hip ratio, and waist-height ratio. However, within the class I obesity group, the likelihood of weight loss was significantly lower among participants with NES (p=0.026). There was no relationship between NES and the duration of obesity, dieting, and the number of main meals per day. However, the relationship between NES and the number of snacks per day was significant in class I and III obesity groups (p=0.040 and p=0.034, respectively).   Conclusion: The frequency of NES was found to be high in all obesity groups with no significant difference across groups. Therefore, all obese patients should be evaluated in terms of NES, and nutritional recommendations should be provided in the treatment of obesity. Key Words: Morbid obesity, Night eating syndrome, Obesity.

An Important Gallbladder Pathology Mimicking Gallbladder Carcinoma: Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis: A Single Tertiary Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is an uncommon, focal, or diffuse destructive inflammatory disease of the gallbladder mimicking or being together with the gallbladder carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of patients with XGC as a single tertiary center experience in the light of literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data about 34 patients with XGC identified after evaluating 2212 cholecystectomy specimens between January 2013 and December 2018 in a single tertiary center were documented to determine demographics (sex, age), clinical symptoms and findings, biochemical and imaging clues and operative findings, duration of hospitalization, postoperative complications, and histopathologic results. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients with XGC were evaluated (17 male and 17 female patients with a mean age of 53; range, 25 to 78). Preoperative diagnosis was chronic calculous cholecystitis in 5 patients, cholelithiasis in 12 cases, acute calculous cholecystitis in 16 and emphysematous cholecystitis in 1 patient. Ultrasound was performed in all patients, computerized tomography in 11, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in 9, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in 7 patients. None of the patients were diagnosed preoperatively. All patients received laparoscopic cholecystectomy, among whom 9 were converted to open. Partial cholecystectomy was performed in 1 patient. One patient with gallbladder adenocarcinoma was treated with radical cholecystectomy. XGC has nonspecific clinical and radiologic findings; thus, preoperative diagnosis is generally absent. Open cholecystectomy is the recommended treatment modality. Conversion to open is frequently necessary after laparoscopy. Complete cholecystectomy is the ultimate goal; however, partial cholecystectomy may be preferred to protect the structures of the hepatic hilum. Preoperative imaging studies (ultrasound or computerized tomography) of 34 patients showed a gallbladder stone in 18 patients, microlithiazis in 12 patients, sludge in 10 patients, and gallbladder sclerosis in 5 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of XGC and differentiation from gallbladder carcinoma may be difficult through preoperative or peroperative studies, even imaging is useful; the definitive diagnosis depends exclusively on pathologic examination. The surgeon should be prepared for every possibility.

Laparoscopic to Open Cholecystectomy: The Risk Factors and the Reasons; A Retrospective Analysis of 1950 Cases of a Single Tertiary Center.

PURPOSE: We investigated the reasons, rates, and risk factors for the conversion to open cholecystectomies (CTOC) by statistical analysis with the demographic properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Demographic properties (age and sex), abdominal operations, and intraoperative and postoperative reasons for cholecystectomies were analyzed in 1950 patients. RESULTS: The patients included 1540 (79%) women and 410 (21%) men (F/M=3.8); of these 115 (5.9%) had CTOC in early or late period. The rate of CTOC in men was significantly high (P= 0.009). There was no mortality. The reasons for CTOC were: significant inflammation (n=53, 46%), inadequate dissection of Calot triangle due to fibrotic adhesions (n=31, 27%), adhesions of previous surgery (n=9, 7.8%), uncontrollable bleeding (n=5, 4.3%), technical insufficiency (n=5, 4.3%), bile duct injury (n=5, 4.3%), anatomical variations (n=3, 2.6%), iatrogenic visceral injury (n=2, 1.7%), isolated right posterior bile duct injury (strasberg type-C) (n=1, 0.9%), and common hepatic duct partial injury (n=1, 0.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Significant inflammation, inadequate dissection of Calot triangle due to fibrotic adhesions, and adhesions due to previous surgery were the 3 main reasons for conversion. Men and elderly patients were associated with significantly high rate of conversion.