Technological Advances Have Improved Surgical Outcome in Thyroid Surgery: Myth or Reality?

AIM: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of Ultrasonic Coagulation (UC), Bipolar Energy Sealing System (BESS), Intra Operative Nerve Monitoring (IONM) and surgical experience on the complications of thyroid surgery. METHOD: The data of 1627 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for various indications in our department between 2009 and 2018 were analyzed retrospectively and the effects of different technological devices on complications were investigated. RESULTS: Transient recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy was higher between 2009 and 2013, when IONM was not in routine use (p=0.029). There were no significant differences between two energy devices (UC and BESS) in terms of transient or permanent RLN palsy, bleeding, and transient or permanent hypocalcemia. Multivariate analysis showed that young age (0.006), female gender (0.016), surgery type (p<0.001), and lateral neck dissection (p=0.026) are independent risk factors for transient hypocalcemia. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that there is no superior hemostatic device. IONM and specific branching decrease transient RLN palsy. Female gender, young age, completion thyroidectomy, and lateral neck dissection were independent risk factors for the development of transient hypocalcemia.

BILATERAL ADRENAL AND TESTICULAR MASS IN A PATIENT WITH CONGENITAL ADRENAL HYPERPLASIA.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) autosomal recessive disorders characterized by impaired adrenal steroid hormone synthesis. The most common form is 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD). Testicular adrenal rest tumors (TARTs) are benign intratesticular masses that occur in male patients with CAH. TARTs are quite common in patients with 21OHD who were diagnosed late. CASE REPORT: A 41-year-old male patient with CAH secondary to 21OHD. The patient was referred to our endocrinology department from the andrology clinic for bilateral adrenal masses. Bilateral orchiectomy had been performed due to bilateral testicular masses and azoospermia two years ago. The pathology was reported as Leydig cell tumor. In hormonal assessment, baseline cortisol levels were low, 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels with baseline and after cosyntropin stimulation test were high. As a result of clinic and laboratory assessment, the patient was diagnosed with simple virilising CAH due to 21OHD and adrenal insufficiency. Then, prednisolone replacement was initiated. Bilateral orchiectomy tissue blocks of the patient were re-assessed and were considered TART. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral adrenal masses with 88x55 mm on the right and 41x22 mm on the left. Laparoscopic right adrenalectomy was applied and pathology was reported as myelolipoma. Follow-up of the mass on the left adrenal gland is ongoing. The patient is monitored under prednisolone and testosterone replacement therapy. Early diagnosis of CAH is very important because of the complications it causes. It should be considered especially for bilateral testicular and/or adrenal masses. Both fertility and adrenal glands can be protected with an early diagnosis and an early glucocorticoid replacement.

Fournier's gangrene: series of twenty patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a rare, rapidly progressive, fulminant form of necrotizing fasciitis of the genital, perianal and perineal regions. Our aim is to investigate the clinical signs, symptoms and factors which affect the clinical results of patients with FG in our clinic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 20 patients having FG were admitted to our department during the past 6-year period. Age, gender, diabetes mellitus (DM), duration of symptoms, FG severity index score (FGSIS), colostomy, hospitalization time and number of debridements were investigated for their effects. RESULTS: 13 of our patients were male, 7 of them were female. The mean age was 52.2 years (range: 30-80 years). 85% of our patients had DM as a predisposing factor. The mean hospitalization time was 19.7 days (range: 6-45 days), and overall mortality was 20% (4 patients). Age and FGSIS have been found to be statistically significant factors among the parameters studied. DISCUSSION: FG is still an important disease with high mortality rates in spite of the developments in intensive care units and new-generation antibiotics. In conclusion, we have found that the age and FGSIS of the patient are the most important effecting factors.

Femoral hernia: a review of 83 cases.

We evaluate the factors that affect morbidity and mortality in patients who underwent surgery due to femoral hernia. The medical records of 83 patients who underwent femoral hernia repair between January 1996 and June 2004 were retrospectively analyzed. The femoral hernias were repaired either with McVay or mesh plug hernioplasty. Sex, age, surgical repair technique, presence of incarceration/strangulation, incarcerated/strangulated organs, postoperative complications, duration of hospitalization, recurrence rate, and factors that affect mortality and morbidity were studied. There were 83 patients with femoral hernia in our study. Patients' age ranged from 10 to 75 years (mean age was 46.84) with a predominance of female (71%). Thirty-six patients (40%) underwent emergency surgery with the diagnosis of strangulation or incarceration of femoral hernia. Seventeen patients had strangulation and underwent resection; eleven of these patients had omentum in the hernial sac, whereas six patients had intestines. Four of these patients underwent laparotomy. The remaining 19 patients had incarceration and underwent simple reduction of hernial sac content without resection. Forty-seven (60%) patients underwent elective surgery. McVay technique was used for 79 patients, while the other four patients were treated with mesh-plug. Twelve patients (15%) developed a variety of complications (nine patients (25%) in emergency, three patients (6%) in elective group). There was one mortality. Recurrences occurred in two patients. Femoral hernia is an important surgical pathology with high rates of incarceration/strangulation and intestinal resection. Emergency surgery can increase morbidity and mortality especially in the elderly. Early elective surgery may reduce complication.

The effects of ageing on brain tissue sialic acid contents following cold trauma.

BACKGROUND: There is a prominent difference between the responses of young and aged patients to brain injury in the clinical setting, but the exact cause of this condition is not well known. METHODS: Young (3-4 months) and aged (36-40 months) Wistar albino male rats were used as subjects, and they were divided into four groups: young and aged study groups, and young and aged control groups. In all groups, craniectomies were performed over the left hemispheres, and in the study groups, cold injuries were inflicted. Brain tissue sialic acid contents were determined in all groups. FINDINGS: Brain tissue sialic acid content was higher in aged control rats than young control ones, but the difference was not statistically significant. Tissue sialic acid content was significantly increased in young rats after trauma. On the contrary, it was significantly decreased in aged rats after trauma. INTERPRETATION: In young rats, brain tissue sialic acid content was significantly increased 24 hours after cold injury unlike in the aged ones. This may be a finding related to decreased regeneration capability of aged brain.

The influence of hemodialysis on serum sialic acid levels in chronic renal failure.

Background. It has been observed that there is an increase in serum sialic acid level in chronic renal diseases and endstage renal failure requiring hemodialysis, and the hemodialysis procedure causes increased cytokine production. Thus, it is expected that hemodialysis causes increases in the serum levels of acute phase reactants and sialic acid. Nevertheless, the changes in serum sialic acid level in hemodialysis have not been examined sufficiently. In our study, we examined the effect of hemodialysis on serum sialic acid level. Methods. A total of 54 patients on hemodialysis therapy for chronic renal failure (32 men; 22 women) were examined. The patients were evaluated in four groups according to their age, sex, duration of hemodialysis, and whether they were diabetic. Serum sialic acid levels before and after hemodialysis, done with a hemophane membrane, were measured by the thiobarbituric acid method described by Warren. Results. The serum sialic acid levels of chronic renal failure patients requiring hemodialysis were increased with respect to the healthy control group, independent of age, duration of therapy, and whether there was accompanying diabetes. Hemodialysis did not provide clearance of sialic acid; to the contrary, it caused an insignificant increase in serum sialic acid levels. Conclusions. In chronic renal failure, the improved serum sialic acid level probably reaches a definite value, and this value is not affected by factors such as diabetes, age, or sex. Serum sialic acid level is minimally influenced by hemodialysis performed with a hemophane membrane.

Multifocal carcinoid tumor resembling a solitary tumor: report of a case.

A laparotomy was performed on a 44-year-old male patient with an acute abdomen who had findings suggestive of acute appendicitis and a periappendicular abscess. A histopathological examination revealed a carcinoid tumor infiltrating the intestinal serosa. The distal ileum and cecum were infiltrated with more than 40 multifocal tumors, with the largest measuring 1 cm in size. The distal ileum and cecum were resected. We failed to find any distant metastases either peroperatively or during postoperative scintigraphic tests. In addition, the patient had no symptoms of carcinoid syndrome either before or after surgery. No recurrence was experienced. We thus conclude that primary multifocal carcinoid tumors may act as a solitary carcinoid tumor, and the largest tumor tends to indicate the overall clinical outcome.

Amplification in tumors and benign tissue of breast cancer patients.

Inappropriate expression of the c-erb B2 gene has been associated with aggressive tumor behavior in breast cancer. In this study the c-erb B2 amplification was investigated both in the tumors and benign breast tissue of the patients by competitive PCR. The technique combines the sensitivity and speed of PCR with coamplification of a single copy reference gene to achieve quantitative results. Gene copy numbers in excess of 3 copies were observed in tumors of 7 patients but not in the normal tissue samples. We conclude that the increase in the gene copy numbers is a result of the tumorigenic changes occurring in the cancer cell.