Has cerumen a protective role in recurrent external otitis?

PURPOSE: We investigated the bactericidal activity of the cerumen in patients with recurrent otitis externa. Materials and methods: Cerumen samples were collected from 2 groups. Group A (n = 20) consisted of patients with recurrent otitis externa (2 or more acute otitis externa attack in the current year) and group B (n = 30) consisted of cerumen from a healthy population. We examined the bactericidal activity against the common microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus) that encounter the recurrent otitis externa. RESULTS: A significant decrease in the count of S epidermidis was observed in group A (P <.05) and B (P <.01) was observed. A comparison of decreases and increases in the percentages of microorganisms between the groups A and B showed that there was a significant difference only in the count of E coli (P 相似文献   

Prevalance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlamydia trochomatis</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ureaplasma urealyticum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycoplasma hominis</Emphasis> infections in the unexplained infertile women

Objective To prospectively investigate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma hominis (MH) and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) in the cervical canal and pouch of Douglas in unexplained infertile women and compare it to healthy controls in the Turkish population. Materials and methods A total of 31 women presenting with a history of infertility [n = 24 (77%) primary infertility, n = 7 (23%) secondary infertility] between 20 and 38 years of age and 31 women willing to have tubal ligation between 30 and 41 years of age were consecutively included into this study. Specimens were taken from intra-abdominal washings and from the cervical canal. CT, MH and UU were detected with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results Results of 62 women were analyzed. None of the participants met the criteria for salpingitis during laparoscopy. The most common infection in the cervical canal in both groups was UU, which was detected in 13 cases of infertile patients and 11 controls (P = 0.602). Cervical chlamydial and mycoplasmic infection was detected in one case each in infertile and control patients. Neither MH nor UU were obtained from the pouch of Douglas in both groups. Only CT was present in peritoneal fluid of an infertile woman who had also a concomitant chlamydial infection in the cervical canal. Conclusion Demonstration of cervical colonization of CT by PCR may be a promising method for the detection of asymptomatic pelvic infection in patients with unexplained infertility. However, screening for MH and UU is not cost-effective due to similar low rates of detection.     

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor located retroperitoneally with pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis: report of a case

Perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasms, also known as “PEComas”, are unusual mesenchymal tumors, exhibiting perivascular epithelioid cell differentiation and characterized by a mixed myogenic and melanocytic phenotype. “PEComas not otherwise specified” (PEComas-NOS) are especially rare; consequently, there are no published large series, but only case reports. These tumors are rarely located retroperitoneally, with only about 15 such cases reported. We report a case of pulmonary diffuse lymphangioleiomyomatosis with large retroperitoneal PEComa-NOS in a 66-year-old woman. Treatment consisted only of tumor resection, without additional adjuvant therapy. We emphasize the importance of correct immunohistochemistry diagnosis, initiation of recommended treatment, and surveillance of this unique family of tumors.     

Cytological correlation in patients who have a pre-diagnosis of thyroiditis ultrasonographically

OBJECTIVE: Radiological-cytopathological correlation in patients who are prediagnosed ultrasonographically as thyroiditis. STUDY DESIGN: Fourty five patients with hypoechogenic, heterogeneous, and/or pseudolobulated thyroid gland sonographically were included in this prospective study. Except for the patients with subacute thyroiditis, none of the patients had a prediagnosis of thyroiditis clinically. All patients were evaluated for their thyroid gland functions and intraglandular vascularity and ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) was performed. RESULTS: The diagnosis of thyroiditis was confirmed in 36 patients (16 lymphocytic thyroiditis, 20 Hashimoto thyroiditis, two subacute granulomatous thyroiditis) in sonographically suspected patients. In six patients, FNAB was thyroiditis negative. The true diagnosis ratio of thyroiditis was increased up to 81.8% (%95 Confidence Interval: 0.70-0.92) by performing US-FNAB, while it was 4.5% with only clinical and laboratory findings (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: Hypoechogenic, heterogeneous thyroid gland may be strongly related to thyroiditis, which does not have any specific radiological findings. The sonographic finding of generalized parenchymal abnormality should alert the clinician to consider diffuse thyroid disease as the underlying cause and FNAB should be performed and a follow-up examination of these patients must be continued due to the risk of neoplastic disease of thyroid.     

Solving the Issue of Discriminant Roughness of Heterogeneous Surfaces Using Elements of Artificial Intelligence

This work deals with investigative methods used for evaluation of the surface quality of selected metallic materials’ cutting plane that was created by CO₂ and fiber laser machining. The surface quality expressed by Rz and Ra roughness parameters is examined depending on the sample material and the machining technology. The next part deals with the use of neural networks in the evaluation of measured data. In the last part, the measured data were statistically evaluated. Based on the conclusions of this analysis, the possibilities of using neural networks to determine the material of a given sample while knowing the roughness parameters were evaluated. The main goal of the presented paper is to demonstrate a solution capable of finding characteristic roughness values for heterogeneous surfaces. These surfaces are common in scientific as well as technical practice, and measuring their quality is challenging. This difficulty lies mainly in the fact that it is not possible to express their quality by a single statistical parameter. Thus, this paper’s main aim is to demonstrate solutions using the cluster analysis methods and the hidden layer, solving the problem of discriminant and dividing the heterogeneous surface into individual zones that have characteristic parameters.     

An international assessment of surgeon practices in abdominal wound closure and surgical site infection prevention by the European Society for Coloproctology

Aim

The burden of abdominal wound failure can be profound. Recent clinical guidelines have highlighted the heterogeneity of laparotomy closure techniques. The aim of this study was to investigate current midline closure techniques and practices for prevention of surgical site infection (SSI).

Method

An online survey was distributed in 2021 among the membership of the European Society of Coloproctology and its partner societies. Surgeons were asked to provide information on how they would close the abdominal wall in three specific clinical scenarios and on SSI prevention practices.

Results

A total of 561 consultants and trainee surgeons participated in the survey, mainly from Europe (n = 375, 66.8%). Of these, 60.6% identified themselves as colorectal surgeons and 39.4% as general surgeons. The majority used polydioxanone for fascial closure, with small bite techniques predominating in clean-contaminated cases (74.5%, n = 418). No significant differences were found between consultants and trainee surgeons. For SSI prevention, more surgeons preferred the use of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) alone over MBP and oral antibiotics combined. Most surgeons preferred 2% alcoholic chlorhexidine (68.4%) or aqueous povidone-iodine (61.1%) for skin preparation. The majority did not use triclosan-coated sutures (73.3%) or preoperative warming of the wound site (78.5%), irrespective of level of training or European/non-European practice.

Conclusion

Abdominal wound closure technique and SSI prevention strategies vary widely between surgeons. There is little evidence of a risk-stratified approach to wound closure materials or techniques, with most surgeons using the same strategy for all patient scenarios. Harmonization of practice and the limitation of outlying techniques might result in better outcomes for patients and provide a stable platform for the introduction and evaluation of further potential improvements.