Morphometric study of cervical spinal canal and transverse foramen diameter using computed tomography: Sex difference and relationship to age in Turkish population.

Accurate and detailed spinal canal diameter transverse foraminal morphometry measurements are essential for understanding spinal column-related diseases and surgical planning, especially for transpedicular screw fixation. This is especially because lateral cervical radiographs do not provide accurate measurements. This retrospective study was conducted to measure the dimensions of the transverse foramen sagittal and transverse diameter (TFD), spinal canal diameter, the distance of the spinal canal from the transverse foramina at the C1 to C7 cervical level, and the anteroposterior and TFDs in the Turkish population. A total of 150 patients who underwent cervical spine computed tomographic imaging with a 1:1 gender ratio were enrolled in the study. The sagittal and TFDs of the spinal canal, the distance of the spinal canal from the transverse foramen, and anteroposterior and TFDs in both right and left sides for all cervical levels C1 to C7. Foramina transversal diameters were measured using imaging tools of the imaging software in the radiology unit. The mean age of the study group was 47.99 ±â€…18.65 (range, 18-80) years. The majority of the distances of the spinal canal from the transverse foramen and antero-posterior (AP) & transverse (T) diameters for cervical vertebrae were significantly higher in male patients (P < .05). However, between age groups, a few measurements were found significantly different. Some of the distances of the spinal canal from the transverse foramen were significantly higher on the right side whereas all AP & T diameters were significantly higher on the left side in both male and female patients (P < .05). Almost all measurements were significantly higher on the left side for younger patients (<65 years) whereas only AP & T diameters were significantly higher on the left side for older patients (>65 years) (P < .05). Computed tomographic imaging is better than conventional radiographs for the preoperative evaluation of the cervical spine and for a better understanding of cervical spine morphometry. Care must be taken during transpedicular screw fixation, especially in female subjects, more so at the C2, C4, and C6 levels due to decreased distance of the spinal canal from the transverse foramina.

Developmental variations and clinical importance of the fetal thyroid gland. A morphometric study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the morphologic structures and developmental anomalies of the thyroid gland in human fetuses. METHODS: This study performed in the Department of Anatomy, Meram Faculty of Medicine between February and April in 2002. Fetuses were obtained from the Gynecology Department of the Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, and Dr. Faruk Sukan Maternity Hospital (Konya, Turkey). Sixty spontaneously aborted fetuses (30 boys and 30 girls) between the ages of 13.5th and 32.5th weeks, which had no detectable anomalies, were evaluated. The gland was dissected under the microscope. The location of the gland was determined according to the tracheal ring levels and laryngeal cartilage levels. The length, width and thickness of both lobes and isthmus of the gland were measured and then, the developmental anomalies were noted. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by Least Squares in variant analysis. RESULTS: Although there was no significant difference regarding to the gender for all parameters except in width of the right lobe (p<0.05), difference in the length and width of lobes and the length of isthmus between trimesters was significant (p<0.05). All measured parameters were increasing with advancing gestational age. The pyramidal lobe was observed in 18.3% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Normal dimensions and developmental anomalies of the fetal thyroid, which was shown in this study, may provide useful information for the prenatal diagnosis and in-utero treatment of thyroid dysfunctions.

Pinealectomy increases oxidant damage in kidney and testis caused by hyperthyroidism in rats.

Thyroid hormones regulate energy metabolism and act on mitochondria which are an important source of free radicals in the cell. The pineal gland activates antioxidant systems via melatonin secretion and thus has a protective function in body tissues. The present study was conducted to determine the oxidative damage caused by hyperthyroidism in kidney and testis tissues of pinealectomized rats. Experimental animals were allocated to three groups: 1, control group; 2, sham pinealectomy-hyperthyroidic group; and 3, pinealectomy-hyperthyroidic group. Hyperthyroidism was induced by A 3-week intraperitoneal administration of thyroxin after sham pinealectomy or pinealectomy. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were determined in kidney and testis tissues. MDA levels of the kidney and testis tissue in the pinealectomy and hyperthyroidic groups were significantly higher than those in the sham pinealectomy-hyperthyroidic group and the control group (p < 0.001). GSH levels of both kidney and testis tissues were significantly higher in the sham-pinealectomy-hyperthyroidic group when compared to the other two groups (p < 0.001). This increase in GSH levels was more evident in the pinealectomy-hyperthyroidic group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The results of our study demonstrate that MDA and GSH levels in kidney and testis tissues increased due to hyperthyroidism and that pinealectomy made the increase in MDA levels more apparent, while decreasing GSH levels.

Hyperthyroidism causes lipid peroxidation in kidney and testis tissues of rats: protective role of melatonin.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at determining how 3-week intraperitoneal melatonin administration affected oxidative stress caused by experimental hyperthyroidism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 30 male rats of Sprague-Dawley species. The experimental animals were divided to 3 groups (control, hyperthyroidism and hyperthyroidism+melatonin). The supplementation was continued for 3 weeks after which the animals were sacrificed and tissue malondyaldehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were determined. RESULTS: MDA levels in kidney and testis tissues in hyperthyroidism group were higher than those in control and hyperthyroidism+melatonin administered groups (p<0.001) and levels in hyperthyroidism+melatonin administered group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.001). The highest GSH levels were obtained in hyperthyroidism+melatonin-administered group (p<0.001) and GSH levels in hyperthyroidism group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Results of the study demonstrate that hyperthyroidism induced by 3-week L-thyroxine administration increased oxidative stress in kidney and testis tissues and that although melatonin administration inhibited this stress to a certain extent, it could not bring the stress down to the level in controls.

Investigation of the bifurcation level of the common carotid artery and variations of the branches of the external carotid artery in human fetuses.

Variations in the position of the bifurcation of the common carotid artery (CCA) and the origin or branching pattern of the external carotid artery (ECA) are well known and documented. In this study, the bifurcation levels of the CCA and origin variations of the branches of the ECA have been extensively investigated in human fetuses. Bilaterally, 40 carotid bifurcations and 40 ECA and their branches have been examined. A latex solution, which had been diluted with water at a ratio of 25% and colored with red India ink, was injected into the aortic arch. Fetuses were kept at room temperature for 24 h before the ECA and its branches were dissected under the microsurgery microscope. Cases of variation were determined and photographed. The bifurcation level of the CCA was determined to be 55% at the C3 level, 35% at the C4 level, 10% at the C5 level on the right side and 60% at the C3 level, 40% at the C4 level on left side. The distribution of the ECA trunks was determined as follows: A linguofacial trunk was present in 20% of the cases, a thyrolingual trunk in 2.5%, a thyrolinguofacial trunk in 2.5% and an occipitoauricular trunk in 12.5%. Beyond this the ascending pharyngeal artery (APA) was observed in one fetus to originate from the internal carotid artery (ICA). Knowledge of variations in the origin and course of the ECA and its branches is of great importance in surgery and radiological examinations.

A rare variation of the coeliac trunk.

The hepatic, splenic and Left gastric arteries are considered as the "main classic branches" of the coeliac trunk. During the routine dissections in the laboratory of the Anatomy Department in a 62-year-old male cadaver, a rare variation, a coeliacomesenteric trunk was observed. This trunk gave rise to the left gastric, the common hepatic, the splenic, the left gastro-epiploic, the right and left inferior phrenic arteries. The developmental and clinical significance of this anomalous vessel is discussed.

An investigation of the origin, location and variations of the renal arteries in human fetuses and their clinical relevance.

We investigated the origin, localizations and anatomic variations of the renal artery (RA) in human fetuses with the aim of determining the distribution of these variations according to lateralization and gender. In total, 90 fetuses of spontaneous abortion (45 males, 45 females) with no congenital malformations were included to the study. The abdominal aorta and its branches were dissected after latex solution colored with red ink had been injected into the vessels from the thoracic aorta. In all, 180 RA dissections were performed bilaterally in 90 cases and the anatomic variations were photographed. Right and left RAs were found to originate from the following levels according to the columna vertebralis, respectively: 3.8% and 1.9% lower T12, 67.3% and 25.0% upper L1, 9.6% and 28.8% mid L1, 15.3% and 40.3 lower L1, 3.8% and 3.8% upper 1/3 part of L2 vertebra. The right RA originated from the lateral part and anterolateral wall of the abdominal aorta in 73.0% and 26.9% of cases while the lateral and anterolateral wall origin percentages of left RA were 90.3% and 9.6%, respectively. The origin site of the right RA from the abdominal aorta was superior to, at the same level with, and inferior to that of the left RA in 53.8%, 34.6% and 11.5% of the cases, respectively. There were no variations in 75% of the cases whereas the remaining 25% had several variation patterns. The presented morphological results are as follows: A single hilar artery in 75% of the cases, double hilar arteries in 11.1%, an inferior polar artery in 10.5%, and a superior polar artery in 3.3% of specimens studied. Anatomical variations were observed more frequently among male fetuses and on the right side. Knowledge of RA variations is important for surgeons in performing many procedures and may help to avoid clinical complications, especially, during radiological examination and/or surgical approaches in the abdominal region.