The age- and gender-dependent effects of desflurane and sevoflurane on rat liver.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the age- and gender-dependent effects of desflurane and sevoflurane on the liver. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Upon the approval of ethics committee, 84 rats were divided into four groups as 21 young male, 21 young female, 21 old male, and 21 old female rats. Then, each group was further divided into three groups as desflurane, sevoflurane, and control groups. Maintaining the minimum alveolar concentration of 1, desflurane at 6vol% and sevoflurane at 2vol% in 6Lmin(-1) 100% O2 were administered for 2h in a transparent plastic container of 40cmx40cmx70cm. Each liver preparation was evaluated for hydropic degeneration, nuclear polymorphism, portal neutrophile infiltration, portal lymphocyte infiltration, and focal necrosis, and each preparation was assigned injury points of 0-3; thus, the number of histopathologically injured cases, total injury scores of each preparation, and the mean injury scores of each group were determined. RESULTS: Desflurane and sevoflurane did not significantly increase hepatic injury in the young male rats, while both agents caused significantly more hepatic injury in the young female rats. In the old rats, both desflurane and sevoflurane inflicted more hepatic injury on both genders. In addition, desflurane caused more hepatic injury in the old female rats than in the young female or the old male rats. CONCLUSION: Hepatic injury associated with desflurane and sevoflurane was mild to moderate, suggesting that both agents can be safely used in routine anaesthesia procedures.

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and light-chain nephropathy in association with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The incidence of nephrotic syndrome co-existing with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a rare condition. Almost any glomerular pathology may accompany CLL. The most frequent of all is membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). Moreover, in 5 - 10% of patients with CLL, monoclonal gammopathy may be detected in serum and/or urine samples. There are no well-established treatment protocols for those CLL patients with accompanying nephrotic syndrome. In this case report, we present a 55-year-old female patient diagnosed with CLL, developing nephrotic syndrome, renal dysfunction and IgG k-type monoclonal gammopathy in the follow-up. The renal biopsy revealed glomerular and tubular deposits of k-chain and histopathology of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Rituximab along with CVP (cyclophosphamide - vincristine - prednisolone) chemotherapy regimen was initiated. At the end of 6 courses of treatment, the patient was on "nephrologic" partial remission as the serum creatinine and albumin levels had returned to normal and proteinuria decreased by more than 50%. The patient was also in partial remission for CLL. In conclusion, in patients with CLL and nephrotic syndrome, presence of MPGN along with light-chain nephropathy is rarely reported. Several different treatment protocols are discussed for these patients. Among these regimes, R-CVP is an acceptable alternative for CLL patients with MPGN.

BK virus-associated nephropathy in two pediatric kidney recipients.

Posttransplant renal dysfunction episodes can result from a variety of causes, including polyomavirus (BK virus)-associated nephropathy (PVAN). It is a well-recognized entity with a high incidence of graft failure. The delicate balance of viral infection and immune regulation in the transplant population would allow development of successful long-term strategies. In this presentation, we have described two PVAN cases of our institution and reviewed the literature.

Retrorectal hemangiopericytoma: a case report.

Hemangiopericytoma is a rare, vascular soft tissue tumour originating from the pericytes, the contractile cells that surround capillaries. A case of retrorectal hemangiopericytoma in a 49-year-old woman is reported. With a posterior sagittal approach, the tumour was completely removed. Pathological examination, including immunohistological stains, was consistent with a hemangiopericytoma. A step-by-step approach to a retrorectal tumour is exemplified, and a very rare pathological entity is added to the spectrum of retrorectal masses.