Postauricular subcutaneous leiomyosarcoma

Superficial leiomyosarcomas are rare soft tissue tumors, most frequently involving the lower extremity. Leiomyosarcomas which could be misdiagnosis or delayed are very rare in the head and neck region. In this report, a 46-year-old man with postauricular leiomyosarcoma was presented. The tumor was totally excised with 3 cm margins. Immunohistochemically, the specimen showed reactivity for smooth muscle actin, vimentin, and desmin. No complications developed in the postoperative period and the patient was free of recurrence at the 26 months follow-up. Immunohistopathological examination is essential for an accurate histological diagnosis. The ENT surgeon should pay attention to superficial leiomyosarcoma with its specific behavior and treatment while evaluating the lesions in the head and neck region.     

Ghrelin levels in children with adenoid or chronic tonsil hypertrophies before and after surgery

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the ghrelin levels in the children with adenoid or tonsil hyperthrophies.

Methods

The study included 27 children (17 boys and 10 girls). Mean age was 6.9 ± 3.5 years, ranging from 3 to 16. Ghrelin levels in the patients and their weight and height measurements were evaluated before surgery and after 3 months later of the operation.

Results

While 18 (67%) children were operated for adenoid hypertrophy, 9 (33%) children were operated for adenoid and tonsil hypertrophy. It was found that postoperative ghrelin levels were significantly decreased whereas weight and BMI scores were significantly increased (p < 0.01). A weak correlation was observed between preoperative ghrelin and weight (r = −0.29). This negative correlation became more profound at the postoperative 3rd month examination (r = 0.85) (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

The present study showed that the surgical treatment provides positive contributions on the growing of children with adenoid and tonsil hypertrophies. The ghrelin levels were significantly decreased at the postoperative period in the children, and a negative relationship was observed between the ghrelin levels and the weight. These findings suggest that blood ghrelin levels may be useful as a parameter for following the development of the children.     

New Turkish legislation on assisted reproductive techniques and centres: a step in the right direction?

The Ministry of Health of Turkey has just passed a new legislation on assisted reproduction techniques. The new legislation covers significant changes in the regulation of opening new assisted reproduction treatment centres, funding of the treatment, number of embryos to be transferred, cryopreservation and donation. It takes a brave step towards reducing the incidence of multiple pregnancies. However, it also makes Turkey one of the most strictly regulated countries in the world. The statements on gamete cryopreservation and donation may have social and clinical consequences.     

Tympanoplasty in pediatric patients

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical features and follow-up of a series of pediatric patients with chronic otitis media undergoing tymponaplasty surgery and to identify the effect of the factors on the course. METHODS: Forty-one children (mean age 15.1+/-2.62 years, range from 8 to 16 years) who had undergone tympanoplasty with or without ossicular reconstruction were evaluated. Age, gender, size and site of perforation, status of operated ear (dry/discharging), status of the contralateral ear, underlying cause of the perforations, surgical technique, preoperative and postoperative hearing levels, average postoperative follow-up time, and postoperative complications were recorded. RESULTS: Myringoplasty in 28 patients (68.3%), incus interposition in 7 patients (17.1%), partial ossicular replacement prostheses in 4 patients (9.7%) and total ossicular replacement prostheses in 2 patients (4.9%) were performed. In the 37 (90.2%) of patients, intact graft was determined during postoperative follow-up. Surgical success including intact graft and postoperative air-bone gap of less than 25 dB were obtained in 34 (82.9%) cases. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested that tympanoplasty was a quite successful method in the appropriate pediatric patients between the ages of 8 and 16 years. In the preoperative evaluation for surgery success, some factors, such as dry middle ear, healthy contralateral ear and concordant to postoperative care should be considered.     

Enhanced antitumor effect of targeted nanoliposomal bleomycin

Folate receptor (FR)‐mediated drug delivery is a promising approach for active targeting of drugs to the FR‐positive tumor cells. Bleomycin (BLM) is an antitumor antibiotic with poor therapeutic activity as a result of its limited diffusion into tumor cells. The aim of this study was to investigate whether FR‐targeted PEGylated nanoliposomes (FPNL) can effectively deliver BLM to tumor cells and enhance its in vitro and in vivo efficacy. FPNL and PNL (non‐targeted) were prepared by thin film hydration method, and their physiochemical properties, cellular uptake, tissue distribution and tumor inhibitory effects were investigated. In Lewis lung cancer (LLC1) cells, FPNL containing BLM showed 2.38‐fold and 3.26‐fold higher cytotoxicity compared to PNL‐BLM and free BLM, respectively. Moreover, the uptake of FPNL by these cells was increased as compared to the PNL. Furthermore, FPNL showed significantly higher tumor distribution of BLM in the LLC1 cells and more tumor inhibition efficacy compared to free BLM and PNL. Both formulations of nanoliposomes had longer plasma half‐life than that of free BLM. Therefore, FPNL may be suitable carriers for targeted drug delivery to FR‐positive tumor cells.     

Which dermatology patients attend to Dermatology Outpatient Clinics during the SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak in Turkey and what happened to them?

Coronavirus disease, first emerged in Wuhan, rapidly spread all over the world since December 2019. There are concerns about elective dermatology appointments and its results. Herein, we aimed to find out which type of dermatologic patients attended to dermatology outpatient clinic. The patients visiting the clinics for elective dermatologic diseases between March 11 and 18, 2020, were included in this study. Their age, sex, diagnosis of disease, requirement for emergent intervention, and their medical records about COVID‐19 were obtained. There were 390 patients attending to the dermatology outpatient clinic in this period. The most common disease was acne (N: 94, 24%), only 19% of patients need emergent interventions or dose adjustment. There were 40 (10%) patients over the age of 65. After their visits, five patients were diagnosed as COVID‐19 in 2weeks. Dermatologic examinations may be a vector for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) transmission since being closed to the patient. Five of our patients were diagnosed as COVID‐19 after their elective visit to hospital. Since the asymptomatic course of some young patients, most of our patients were not screened for COVID‐19. Our findings support the concerns of elective physician examinations.     

Epidermoid tumor of the occipital bone

Intradiploic epidermoid-tumor of the occipital bone was presented. There were neither intracranial extensions nor neurologic deficits. The lesion started as a painless mass under the scalp.The total removal of the tumor was associated with a good prognosis.     

Solitary plasmacytoma of the skull. A case report

A case of solitary plasmacytoma of the skull is presented. The tumor was radically removed. There was no systemic involvement and the patient was not submitted to radiotherapy. Lytic lesions of the skull are discussed.     

Investigation of Helicobacter pylori in the middle ear of the patients with chronic otitis media by CLO test and 14C urea breath test.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Helicobacter pylori by CLO test in the middle ear of the patients with chronic otitis media. We also investigated the relationship between H. pylori in the stomach and in the middle ear by 14C urea breath test (14C UBT) for the possible source of this bacterium. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective controlled clinical study. METHODS: Tissue samples were obtained from the middle ear mucosa of 41 patients undergoing ear surgery for chronic suppurative otitis media and placed in the CLO test kit. C UBT was performed in 24 patients and 20 normal subjects. RESULTS: The CLO test results were positive in 22 patients (53.6%). Results of 14C UBT that was performed in 24 patients were positive in 19 patients (79.1%) and were positive in 6 control subjects (30%). CONCLUSION: Fifty-three percent of the middle ear mucosae obtained from 41 patients with chronic otitis media were shown to be positive for H. pylori, and although our results suggest that the source of this bacterium is the stomach, further clinical studies are needed.