Single-center experience with potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser for superficial cutaneous vascular lesions in face

Background and objectives: Superficial cutaneous vascular lesions (SCVLs) are quite common. Several types of lasers have been used to treat these lesions; however, there are no dedicated treatment guidelines and few studies in the literature addressed their treatment. Aims: In this paper, we aimed to report our clinical experience with potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser treatment on different types of facial SCVLs including telangiectasia, spider angioma, and erythema. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from 146 patients with SCVLs, who had been treated with the 532-nm wavelength laser at our outpatient dermatology clinic. Treatment responses were graded as four groups: clearance (> 75% improvement compared with the previous session), marked improvement (50–75%), partial improvement (25–50%), and no response (< 25%). Results: The rate of clearance plus marked improvement (favorable outcome) was 66.1% for telangiectasia group, 93.5% for spider angioma group, and 26.7% for erythema group. Mean number of treatments was 2.9 ± 1.4 for telangiectasia group, 1.4 ± 0.8 for spider angioma group, and 2.9 ± 1.7 for facial erythema group. Only minimal adverse effects related to treatment procedure were detected in 5 out of 146 (3.4%) patients. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that KTP laser might be a safe and effective laser modality for SCVLs, which may be associated with physiological problems due to cosmetic concerns.     

Reproductive failure and antisperm-antibody production among prostitutes.

Reproductive failure and anti-sperm antibody (ASA) production among prostitutes were investigated. A questionnaire including the subject's age, years of prostitution, date of most recent birth, number of children and contraceptive method used at the beginning of prostitution were asked of 109 prostitutes, but only 53 agreed to complete the questionnaire. ASA was detected by ELISA in the prostitutes (n = 109) and in the control group (n = 40) sera. The tests revealed a high ASA rate (43.1%) among the prostitutes. The difference in the incidence of ASA between controls (5%) and the prostitutes (43.1%) was highly significant (p less than 0.01). It was found that ASA positivity incidence in 27 prostitutes who had never use any contraception method and who became infertile within 9.3 years (average) was 61.3%. These results may be explained by repeatedly inoculations with multiple sperm antigens and/or microorganisms.     

High-output left ventricular failure after dextran use in an operative hysteroscopy.

High-output left ventricular failure occurred in a patient after a difficult case of hysteroscopic lysis of adhesions using dextran as a distension medium. The excessive dissection in the uterine wall, the long duration of the operation, and the large volumes of dextran probably caused intravasation of dextran into the systemic circulation inducing a significant shift of fluids from the third space. This was possibly assisted by the large volume of fluids given intravenously in a 45-kg patient initiating the reported sequence of events.     

Helicobacter pylori--prevalence in the German population

Within the framework of the German National Health interview and Examination Survey determinations of IgG-antibodies against the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in serum samples of study participants were conducted. The prevalence for the total population of Germany was 40%. No differences could be found between sexes. The comparison between study participants from the old and those from the new (territory of the former GDR) federal states of Germany did show that the prevalence rates were significantly higher in all age-groups of the eastern part (former GDR) of Germany. Possible causes and factors of influence are discussed.     

Effect of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of three fluoroquinolones on adherence of uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli

The effect of subinhibitory concentrations (1/2-1/32 x MIC) of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and levofloxacin on the adherence of three strains of Escherichia coli (a mannose-resistant haemagglutinating clinical isolate, a non-haemagglutinating clinical isolate and the mannose-resistant haemagglutinating ATCC 25922 strain) were studied. Ciprofloxacin had the lowest MIC values but only the 1/2 MIC concentration inhibited adherence of mannose-resistant haemagglutinating strains after exposure to subMIC values. Significant inhibition of adherence was observed with 1/4 x MIC ofloxacin for both haemagglutinating isolate (27096) and the ATCC strain. Levofloxacin might be more effective and safer than ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin as a long acting fluoroquinolone at subMIC values in patients with UTI.     

Enamel matrix proteins in the treatment of periodontal sites with horizontal type of bone loss

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to assess the clinical and radiographic outcome of horizontal type of bone loss over a period of 8 months following periodontal surgery with adjunctive use of enamel matrix proteins (EMP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients, who received nonsurgical periodontal therapy and had radiographic horizontal bone loss with an associated probing depth (PD) of > or =4 mm at the maxillary incisor/canine segment, were included. One side of the selected segment divided by the mid-sagittal plane was treated with EMP as part of a crevicular flap. The other side was treated either with a similar intracrevicular (ICI) or a reverse bevel incision (RBI) as part of a conventional flap debridement. Therefore, patients were divided into two groups of 10 patients according to the type of incision performed on the control side. The analysis was based on a classification of two severity groups according to preoperative PD, with the patient's means of measurements for each treatment being the experimental units for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: For pockets of 4-6 mm, EMP treatment was significantly better than the ICI/flap debridement in terms of PD reduction (p<0.001), relative attachment level (RAL) gain (p<0.001) and recession (REC) (p<0.05). Although sites exposed to EMP treatment exhibited significantly greater RAL gain than RBI/flap debridement sites (p<0.01), both treatments resulted in equally effective PD reduction. Less REC occurred with EMP application than with ICI-RBI/flap debridement (p<0.05). Treatment of shallow sites by the conventional flap with both incisions resulted in a tendency for loss of attachment whereas EMP treatment maintained the attachment levels. No significant difference in the degree of probing and radiographic bone levels was found between the treatments. CONCLUSION: EMP treatment showed better clinical improvements as compared to the conventional flap debridement performed with two different incisions. Clinical improvements were more pronounced at periodontal sites with deep, rather than shallow, periodontal pockets. The results of this study provided an important preliminary base for further clinical and histologic studies.     

Laboratory tests in The Child and Adolescent Health Survey

Laboratory tests will be performed as part of the National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents to identify health risks and to determine the seroprevalence of disease markers. The parameters were selected from haematology, clinical chemistry, allergology, endocrinology and serology of infectious diseases as indicators of individual health risks, to validate information collected by means of the questionnaires and to identify age specific immunity gaps of vaccine-preventable diseases.     

Effects of electroconvulsive therapy on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis activity in depressed patients

In this study, the authors aimed to test the hypothesis that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may cause some alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis hormones and these responses may change throughout respective ECT sessions. Nineteen depressed inpatients (8 males, 11 females; mean age+/-S.D.: 44.77+/-10.59 years) considered suitable for ECT were included in the study. Each patient was exposed to 7 ECT sessions with general anaesthesia. The blood samples for measurements of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroiodothyronine (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4) were drawn before (baseline) and after propofol, immediately after ECT, and 30 and 60 min after ECT during the first and last (seventh) ECTs. In both the first and seventh ECTs, there was a significant increase in TSH levels 30 min after ECT compared to the pre-ECT values. Additionally, a significant decrease in post-ECT fT4 values compared to the baseline values was found only during the seventh ECT. No difference was detected in the TSH, fT3 and fT4 responses to ECT between males and females, and between bipolar and unipolar depressive patients. These results show that ECT may have some effects on the HPT system. However, whether there is a relationship between these neuroendocrine responses and the therapeutic effect of ECT is not clear.     

"Double imaging" for the diagnostic work-up of alveolar soft part sarcoma with Tc-99m MIBI

The authors report a case of alveolar soft-part sarcoma with lung metastases demonstrated by "double imaging" with Tc-99m HDP and Tc-99m MIBI. The tumor originated in the soft tissue with direct invasion to the right scapula, which was hypoactive on bone scan and hyperactive on Tc-99m MIBI images. A focus of dense accumulation of Tc-99m MIBI in the lungs, suggesting metastasis was also demonstrated.     

The effects of the incision types in myringoplasty operations on cosmesis

There is no study based on objective measurements about the cosmetic results of myringoplasty operation in medical literature. This study aims to show the differences in the auriculomastoid angle between the operations which were done with postauricular and endaural incisions. The auriculomastoid angle of 20 patients having had postauricular myringoplasty operation were measured both preoperative and postoperative periods. The auriculomastoid angles of 17 patients having had endaural myringoplasty operation were also measured in both preoperative and postoperative periods. Also, the patients were asked whether there was a change in the shape of their ears. It was observed that the increase of the auriculomastoid angles of the patients who had myringoplasty by postauricular incision was statistically significant when compared to the ones having had the operation by endaural incision. Also, the patients who had myringoplasty operation by postauricular incision realized the change in their ears significantly when compared to the other group. In this study, esthetically better results were observed in the myringoplasty operations done by endaural incision than the ones done by postauricular incision. When deciding on the incision type, this should be considered.