DNA repair capacity of the colorectal cancer patients and the correlation between the pathological parameters.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancers are third most common cancer in both genders. They are associated with genetic and environmental factors. Staging is important in the prognosis. Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) provides preliminary information and there is a correlation between Proliferation Index (PI) and prognostic variables. Our aim is to investigate the relationship between DNA repair capacity and clinico-pathologic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The blood samples taken from cancer patients were irradiated. DNA repair capacity by comet technique was calculated. The CEA values were recorded. Pathology reports were collected and PI values were calculated. s. RESULTS: Total of 30 patients; male (n: 14) and female (n: 16) with a median age of 66.37 ± 10.32 were included. Mean CEA value was 42.85 (1.46 - 422.30 µgr/ml) µgr/ml. Mean % DNA repair capacity was 44.49 ± 5.24. In the pathology; 21 (70%) were T3 tumors; 18 (60%) had lymphatic and 12 (40%) had vascular 2 invasion. Perineural invasion was present in 8 (26.7%). According to the proliferation index (PI); 16 (53.3%) were in high percentile (PI > 66%) group. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant correlation between; perineural invasion and tumor grade (P = 0.043); lymphatic and perineural invasion (P = 0.006); lymphatic invasion and vascular invasion (P = 0.034) and the DNA repair capacity with the lymphatic invasion (P = 0.026). There was also a statistically significant (P = 0.044) relationship between PI and lymphatic invasion. As a result in colorectal cancer patients DNA repair capacity can be used as a biomarker in the staging and also in the prediction of the tumor behavior.

Facial cleft no. 30.

Midline clefts of the lower lip, mandible, tongue, and neck are rare congenital deformities and are classified as facial cleft no. 30 by Tessier. This is a report of a patient who presented with congenital fibrotic neck cord but no lower lip cleft, which has been the most frequently observed pathognomonic sign of this anomaly. The patient was treated initially for thyroglossal remnant. In the patients who present with a fibrotic cord located at the cervical midline without a lower lip cleft, the diagnosis of facial cleft no. 30 should be kept in mind.

Late results of split-grafted penoscrotal avulsion injuries.

Penoscrotal avulsion injuries are rare surgical emergencies. The best treatment for penile avulsions is split skin graft, although late results of split-grafted scrotal avulsions are not superior. Scrotal skin avulsions require additional judgment for the treatment, because there are several available treatment options. Scrotal skin remnants must be used to cover whenever possible.

The effects of fronto-parieto-squamosal suture fusion on cranial growth: an experimental study.

Craniosynostoses have been known for at least 20 centuries, but their etiopathogeneses are still unclear. There are three main theories to explain the etiology of craniosynostosis, Moss's theory being the most popular. According to Moss, the development of the neurocranial form is viewed as an integration of the growth of the skull base, the calvarial bones, the meninges, and the enclosed brain. Experimental studies, however, are generally focused on cranial vault suture synostosis. This study aims to demonstrate the effects of cranial base synostosis by performing fronto-parieto-squamosal suture fusion. This fusion affected the whole cranial configuration. These effects were more prominent closer to the cranial vault, increasing at the anterior facial height and the lower facial length, reflected by ventral dislocation of the total face, and increasing of the kyphosis at the cranial base. It has also been demonstrated that synostosis of a junction point near the cranial base affects the vault and the base simultaneously. Any approach that tries to treat the cause, and not the symptom, of synostosis must, then, be based on an understanding of how cranial growth occurs and of how sutural growth processes are related to the totality of cranial growth.

The impact of various suture materials on experimental colorectal carcinogenesis.

Local tumor recurrence following restorative surgery for colorectal cancer may occasionally result from the promotion of a neoplastic lesion in a zone of proliferative instability adjacent to the anastomosis. This study was designed to determine the influence of various suture materials on experimental colorectal carcinogenesis. A total of 72 rats were divided into six groups, four of which were subjected to colotomy and repair using catgut, silk, polyglactin (PG), or stainless steel. The fifth group was given a sham procedure and the sixth group served as a control. Methylnitrosourea was administered rectally to all the animals, at a dose of 4 mg/kg/week for 20 weeks. The mean number of tumors per rat was significantly higher in the PG group than in the other groups. The mean tumor size was found to be significantly larger in each of the suture material groups than in the sham group. A tendency for tumor occurrence to develop at the anastomosis rather than at the other colon sites was seen in the PG group. These results indicate that PG has an adverse effect on local tumor occurrence in experimental colorectal carcinogenesis.

Mechanisms of viability in rabbit flank venous flaps.

Venous flaps may become more versatile in reconstruction and offer different opportunities to reconstructive surgeons if the mechanisms of their viability is clarified. In this study, axial pattern flank flaps in rabbits were converted into venous flaps by dividing the cutaneous pedicles and ligating the artery. Fluorescein and radioactive tracer studies were performed to elucidate the mechanisms of possible circulation. It is hypothesized that the venous flaps do not have a capillary circulation, but veins transport the fluid out, which is drawn into the capillaries from the interstitium, and that the nutrients and oxygen for flap viability diffuse from the wound bed. Venous drainage plays an important role by draining the metabolites away until revascularization offers a more direct supply.

McCune-Albright syndrome progressing with severe fibrous dysplasia.

We present the case of an 11-year-old girl with McCune-Albright syndrome associated with severe fibrous dysplasia. In addition to bone lesions, she has apparent manifestations of precocious puberty. In examination, a mass at the mentum spreading to mandibular corpus bilaterally was seen. This mass has affected the mandibular teeth. It was nearly 20 x 20 x 15 cm in size and had local necrotic regions on it. The lower lip was expanded too much by the mass. Another mass filled the left maxillary sinus, expanding the left zygomatic region outwardly and closing the left nasal fossa completely. A rectangular skull shape was related to the involvement of cranial bones. After stainless steel, custom-made mandibular prosthesis was prepared, the patient underwent surgery. A partial mandibulectomy was performed, and resulting mandibular bone defect was reconstructed by steel prosthesis. Craniofacial involvement occurs in 100% of disseminated cases. In the dental literature, mandibular involvement was found in 20% of cases. However, in studied literature, we did not find a dramatic mandibular lesion as severe as that presented here.

Experimental microvenous thrombosis following anastomosis with a knotted suture.

An experimental model for producing venous thrombosis was developed in end-to-end anastomoses of femoral veins in rats. The anastomoses were performed using a suture (9-0 suture-70 microns needle) with a knot 1 cm from the needle. The knot was formed by making either six or eight half-hitches in one throw of the suture. Vessel patency was assessed through the direct "milking test" at 20 min and 24 hrs. The incidence of thrombosis when using one knot with six half-hitches ranged from 20% to 40% and with eight half-hitches, from 50% to 70%. The incidence of femoral vein thrombosis varied directly with the presence and size of the knot. In this model, thrombosis was induced by exaggerating vessel injuries that may occur when performing routine microvascular anastomoses. This study demonstrates a reproducible thrombogenic model which mimics clinical practice and may be used to study the effects of local and systemic antithrombogenic agents.