Percutaneous injection sclerotherapy with tetracycline hydrochloride in simple renal cysts

OBJECTIVES: Symptomatic simple renal cysts can be treated by combination of percutaneous aspiration and sclerotherapy. A number of sclerosing agents including glucose, phenol, iophendylate, polidocanol, minocycline and pantopaque have been used in the past to prevent reformation of cyst. In this study, tetracycline HCL solution is evaluated as a sclerosant for treatment of simple renal cysts. METHODS: Our study treated 76 cysts in 70 patients with symptomatic renal cysts. Aspiration and sclerotherapy was performed on 56 cysts, and 20 cysts aspirated without sclerotherapy as a control group. Treatment was performed under local anesthesia and punctured under ultrasound guidances with an 18-gauge needle. Tetracycline HCL (20%) was injected into the cystic cavity according to cyst diameter. All patients were followed up with an ultrasound examination at 3 months, 6 months, and then at yearly intervals. The reduction rate was estimated by a comparison of the volume of the cyst before and after treatment. A cyst reduction of 50% or greater in diamater was considered as a successful treatment. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 9.8 months in the sclerotherapy group and 9.9 months in the control group. The success rate was 85.7% in the sclerotherapy group. There was a significant difference in the reduction rate of tetracycline HCL sclerotherapy group and control group. No major complications were encountered.     

B-type natriuretic peptide as an indicator of right ventricular dysfunction in acute pulmonary embolism

Objective: B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a neurohormone secreted from cardiac ventricles in response to ventricular strain. The aim of present study was to evaluate the role of BNP in the diagnosis of the right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Methods: BNP levels were measured in patients with acute PE as diagnosed by high probability lung scan or positive spiral computed tomography. All patients underwent standard echocardiography and blood tests during the second hour of the diagnosis. Results: Forty patients diagnosed as acute PE (mean age, 60.4 ± 13.2 years; 62.5% women) were enrolled in this study. Patients with RV dysfunction had significantly higher BNP levels than patients without RV dysfunction (426 ± 299.42 pg/ml vs. 39.09 ± 25.22 pg/ml, p < 0.001). BNP‐discriminated patients with or without RV dysfunction (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.943; 95% CI, 0.863–1.022). BNP > 90 pg/ml was associated with a risk ratio of 165 (95% CI, 13.7–1987.2) for the diagnosis of RV dysfunction. There was a significant correlation between RV end‐diastolic diameter and BNP (r = 0.89, p < 0.001). Sixteen patients (40%) were diagnosed as having low‐risk PE, 19 patients (47.5%) with submassive PE and five patients (12.5%) with massive PE. The mean BNP was 39.09 ± 25.2, 378.4 ± 288.4 and 609.2 ± 279.2 pg/ml in each group respectively. Conclusion: Measurement of BNP levels may be a useful approach in diagnosis of RV dysfunction in patients with acute PE. The possibility of RV dysfunction in patients with plasma BNP levels > 90 pg/ml should be strongly considered.     

Transpedicular decancellation osteotomy in the treatment of posttuberculous kyphosis

OBJECTIVE: Although the transpedicular decancellation osteotomy is a salvage technique for reconstruction of complex spinal deformities, it is not a procedure used exclusively for patients with kyphosis occurring as a sequel of treated tuberculosis. In this study, 16 adult patients with kyphosis underwent transpedicular decancellation osteotomy between 1993 and 1999. Pain, kyphosis angle, sagittal balance, and functional and neurologic status were the main parameters used for the clinical and radiologic assessment. METHODS: Sixteen patients with angular kyphotic deformity underwent transpedicular decancellation osteotomy between 1993 and 1999 with at least 5 years of follow-up. There were 6 male and 10 female patients with a mean age of 51.0. The radiologic involvement included the angle of kyphosis and plumb line on the anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. The preoperative and postoperative clinical assessment was performed by the using Oswestry Disability Index. All patients were asked to rate their preoperative and postoperative pain measurement using a pain visual analog scale. Fusion was evaluated on flexion-extension lateral radiographs. RESULTS: There were significant corrections in the kyphosis angle and the sagittal balance whereas no radiologic correction loss was observed in any of the patients during follow-ups. When the preoperative and the last follow-up pain visual analog scale and Oswestry Disability Index scores were compared, decrease was documented in both of them. Bony fusion was achieved in all patients and no neurologic complications were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The transpedicular decancellation osteotomy effectively corrected the sagittal balance and improved pain and functional status. It was a safe and reliable technique in the treatment of posttuberculosis kyphosis.     

HIV infection and shoulder pain: a challenging case

With better understanding of the pathogenesis of AIDS and the advent of anti-retroviral medications, patients with HIV are living longer and the probability that they will suffer musculoskeletal complications are increasing. There is a vast array of musculoskeletal impairments including rheumatologic, infectious, and non-infectious conditions. We report a 53-year-old man with longstanding shoulder pain, weakness, and spasticity of the upper extremity which was diagnosed as adhesive capsulitis secondary to brain abscess. Musculoskeletal problems may be complicated with neurological involvement as in our case and patients should be investigated for possible underlying life-threatening disease.