The effect of autonomous neuropathy on bowel preparation in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Introduction  

The need for colonoscopy is common among diabetics. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of autonomous neuropathy on bowel preparation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients.     

Gorham–Stout Syndrome with chylothorax: Successful remission by interferon alpha‐2b

Gorham–Stout syndrome is a rare disease and most often recognized in children and young adults. Chylothorax is a serious complication of Gorham–Stout syndrome. The treatment of either Gorham–Stout syndrome or chylothorax is still a dilemma. We described a 9‐year‐old girl with Gorham–Stout syndrome and chylothorax who was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea, orthopnea, and bone pain, and treated with interferon alpha‐2b. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:613–615. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Risk factors for surgery in patients with tuba-ovarian abscess

Objective

To determine the factors that increases the need of surgery in the treatment of tuba-ovarian abscess.

Material and method

Fifty patients, who were diagnosed with tuba-ovarian abscess between January 2005 and December 2010 at Aegean Obstetrics and Gynecology Education and Research Hospital, were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups as Group A includes 19 patients treated medically and Group B includes 31 patients treated surgically. Patient characteristics of both groups were compared in terms of risk factors, clinical findings, abscess size and length of hospital stay.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 41.2?±?10.4 (range 19–73). A statistically significant difference was found between the mean age of the patients (37.4?±?8.6) treated medically and the mean age of the patients (43.5?±?10.8) treated surgically (p 0.042). The patients treated medically were younger than those treated surgically. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of abscess sizes (p 0.001, 81.7?±?38.2 and 43.5?±?19.0?mm, respectively). Accordingly, the size of abscess was larger in the surgical treatment group. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of smoking status and duration of hospital stay (p 0.157, 0.085, respectively). Previous attacks of PID, history of minor uterine operation and use of IUD’s were not different between the groups (p 0.166, 0.490, 0.080, respectively).

Conclusion

Being older in age and having larger abscess size increase proceeding to surgery in patients with tuba-ovarian abscess.     

A case of idiopathic pulmonary alveolar proteinosis

Idiopathic pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease due to impaired alveolar macrophage function caused by neutralising anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating autoantibodies. A nineteen years old male patient was admitted with the complaints of cough, sputum production, dyspnea and fever. There were bilaterally inspiratory fine crackles. The chest radiographs showed bilateral air-space consolidation. On thorax computed tomography; pre-carinal lymph nodes enlargement, ground glass opacities, septal thickening and crazy-paving appearance were determined. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed and reported was PAP.     

A case report: Is mexiletine usage effective in the shortening of QTC interval and improving the T‐wave alternans in Timothy syndrome?

Timothy syndrome (TS) is a multisystemic disease that occurs because of a mutation in CACN1C gene and is characterized by prolonged QT interval. Mexiletine is a Class 1B antiarrhythmic drug that causes the disappearance of T‐wave alternans by shortening QTc and peak‐to‐end of the T wave. It may block the development of torsades de pointes in a prolonged QT. This study presented the case of a patient diagnosed with TS and had a cardiac arrest history, prolonged QT, and T‐wave alternans. After mexiletine treatment, the QTc interval shortened and T‐wave alternans disappeared. Such a case has rarely been seen in the literature, and hence considered rare. This case presentation was of particular importance because it highlighted the use of mexiletine besides an initial beta‐blocker treatment in the cases with TS.     

Alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist treatment in a rat model of Huntington's disease and involvement of heme oxygenase-1

Neuroinflammation is a common element involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases.We recently reported that repeated alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7 n ACh R) activations by a potent agonist such as PHA 543613 in quinolinic acid-injured rats exhibited protective effects on neurons.To further investigate the underlying mechanism,we established rat models of early-stage Huntington's disease by injection of quinolinic acid into the right striatum and then intraperitoneally injected 12 mg/kg PHA 543613 or sterile water,twice a day during 4 days.Western blot assay results showed that the expression of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1),the key component of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway,in the right striatum of rat models of Huntington's disease subjected to intraperitoneal injection of PHA 543613 for 4 days was significantly increased compared to the control rats receiving intraperitoneal injection of sterile water,and that the increase in HO-1 expression was independent of change in α7 n ACh R expression.These findings suggest that HO-1 expression is unrelated to α7 n ACh R density and the increase in HO-1 expression likely contributes to α7 n ACh R activation-related neuroprotective effect in early-stage Huntington's disease.     

Diffuse panbronchiolitis observed in a white man in Turkey

Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is a distinct clinicopathological entity which is characterized by chronic recurrent sinopulmonary infection and inflammation. It is prevalent in the Far East, but extremely rare in western countries. In this report, we described the first Turkish case of DPB and also evaluated demographic and diagnostic characteristics of 18 patients with DPB, previously reported from non-Asian countries. We believe that DPB patients described from these countries may also increase if this disease is taken into consideration in differential diagnosis of sinopulmonary diseases. Another consideration is that, since the treatment and prognosis of DPB are different from other obstructive pulmonary diseases, it should not be mistaken for others.     

Abnormal middle ear pressures during experimental influenza A virus infection--role of Eustachian tube function

Introduction: Experimental infection of adults with influenza A virus, rhinovirus or RSV causes abnormal ME pressure in some, but not all subjects. The hypothesis tested in this study is that the response variability is caused by constitutional differences in the functioning of the Eustachian tube. Methods: 18 adult subjects were experimentally infected with influenza A virus. On five occasions before virus exposure, middle ear pressure (by tympanometry) and Eustachian tube function (by sonotubometry) were recorded bilaterally. Tests were repeated on days 1 through 8 and 10 after infection. Individual ears were classified with respect to the number of pre-exposure, positive sonotubometric testings and the middle ear pressure response to infection was compared between ears with Eustachian tube openings at all pre-infection test sessions (GR-A) and those with at least one negative test (GR-B). Results: Pre-exposure, 19, six, four, four, one and two ears had tubal openings on five, four, three, two, one and zero sessions, respectively. For that period, GR-A had significantly lesser average intra-ear and intra-group middle ear pressure variances compared to GR-B, but there were no between-group differences in the average middle ear pressure or in the number of observations of abnormal middle ear pressure. After virus exposure, middle ear pressure variances and the number of abnormal observations increased and the average pressure decreased in both groups, but the effects were more pronounced for GR-B ears. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that pre-existing good Eustachian tube function reduces the otological complications of viral upper respiratory tract infection.     

Tuberculin skin test positivity in pediatric allogeneic BMT recipients and donors in Turkey

The preliminary study was performed to determine the frequency of tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity among 26 patients and their donors screened by TST to investigate whether tuberculin positivity of a recipient or donor influenced the rate of tuberculosis disease, transplant-related events, and to evaluate the effectiveness of isoniazide (INAH) prophylaxis administered to those with positive TST. The frequency of TST positivity was 23% (n = 6) among recipients and also 23% (n = 6) among donors. Two recipients and five donors with positive TST received INAH prophylaxis for six months. Our use of INAH prophylaxis in transplant patients was very conservative because of the risk of drug interaction. The transplantation procedure was not postponed for either recipient or donor TST positivity. Despite the high frequency of tuberculosis in our country, we have not detected any case of tuberculosis in our center, either among the purified protein derivative-screened (n = 26) or non-screened (n = 128) patients except for disseminated tuberculosis infection because of BCG vaccination in two patients with severe combined immunodeficiency. In conclusion, TST positivity in either recipient or donor may not be a contraindication for bone marrow transplantation and the procedure may not be postponed. Pretransplantation TST screening may be needed in countries where tuberculosis is common in the general population.