Breast cancer related lymphedema in patients with different loco-regional treatments

IntroductionLymphedema, a sequela of breast cancer and breast cancer therapy, changes functional abilities and may affect a patient's psychosocial adjustment and overall quality of life. Aim of this prospective observational study was to determine the rate of mid-term and late time period lymphedema in breast cancer patients with different loco-regional treatments, and factors associated with lymphedema.Materials and methodsPatients surgically treated for early-stage breast cancer were prospectively enrolled in the study. Demographic, clinical, pathological, and loco-regional treatments data of patients and lymphedema rates were recorded. Patients were divided into six groups regarding different loco-regional treatments. Pre- and postoperative (12 months, and median 64 months after surgery) circumferences of arms were recorded.Results218 patients, all female with a median age of 48 (19–82) years, were included in the study. The numbers of patients in breast conservation surgery group (BCS) (N = 104), mastectomy group (N = 114), sentinel lymph node biopsy group (SLNB) (N = 80), axillary lymph node dissection group (ALND) (N = 138), group with radiotherapy (RT) (N = 88) and group without radiotherapy (N = 130). Incidence of lymphedema after surgery in mid-term period was 24.8%. The rate of lymphedema at 64 months median follow-up time was 7.3%. (BCS: 11.1%, 4.2% and 0.5%; Mastectomy: 15.0%, 3.2% and 1.4%; SLNB: 8.0%, 1.9% and 0.5%; ALND: 18.0%, 5.3% and 1.4%; RT: 14.7%, 6.3% and 1.4%; without RT: 11.4%, 2.1% and 0.5%). When we excluded patients with both mid-term and late term lymphedema, only four patients developed lymphedema at late time, then re-calculated late term lypmhedema rate was 1.8%. The factors affecting the lymphedema was ALND and radiotherapy (RT) and no lymphedema was detected in patients underwent breast conserving surgery and SLNB. Age and body mass index were not related to lymphedema at any time.ConclusionThe incidence of lymphedema gradually increased in time and a quarter of patients experienced the complication at the end of year. The rate of lymphedema in patients with ALND was significantly higher than patients with SLNB alone. If RT added to SLNB the lymphedema rate was getting higher than SLNB alone. In all patients lymphedema rate was decreased one year after the surgery and further decreased at median 64 months follow-up time period.     

Proximal myopathy as an unusual presenting feature of celiac disease

A 37-year-old woman presented with back pain, diffuse musculoskeletal pain, and muscle weakness without marked gastrointestinal symptoms. She complained of difficulty in walking and bilateral hip pain for the preceding year. Clinical examination revealed proximal muscle weakness especially in the lower extremities and a waddling gait pattern. Laboratory parameters and radiographic findings revealed the diagnosis of osteomalacia. The etiology of osteomalacia was investigated and a diagnosis of celiac disease was established. As osteomalacia symptoms may be the only presenting feature of celiac disease, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with proximal muscle weakness and diffuse musculoskeletal pain.     

Balance performance, aging and falling: a comparative study based on a Turkish sample

The effects of aging and gender on balance performance (BP) among ambulatory adults were investigated in the current work. If there was a relation between the BP and a history of falling, this was also detected. Two hundred and forty ambulatory subjects were divided into two groups depending on their age: (1) 125 middle-aged subjects (50–64 years); (2) 115 elderly subjects (65–75). The functional reach (FR) test, the timed up and go (TUG) test, the sit to stand (STS) test and the step test (ST) were used to evaluate the BP. The fall rate (1–2 in the last year) was 8% for the middle-aged group and was 13.9% for the elderly group. Middle-aged adults had better scores on all tests in comparison to the elderly people. There have been differences found between genders regarding the BP in both groups, except the FR scores in the middle-aged group. The FR distance of the faller subjects was rather low in comparison to non-faller elderly subjects. However, there were no significant differences between the faller and non-faller subjects in both groups regarding other tests’ scores. The results of this study indicate that aging affects the BP year by year. The information in this paper can provide normative data to be used as a comparison to clinically obtained information.     

Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric dental attendance

Clinical Oral Investigations - This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on dental attendance and emergency/non-emergency visits of children during the outbreak,...     

Significantly lower antigenicity of incobotulinumtoxin than abo- or onabotulinumtoxin

Journal of Neurology - For many indications, BoNT/A is repetitively injected with the risk of developing neutralizing antibodies (NABs). Therefore, it is important to analyze whether there is a...     

The role of anterior hyaloid face integrity on retinal complications during Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy

Background

This study evaluated anterior hyaloid damage (AHD), AHD-related Nd:YAG laser parameters, and retinal complications in subjects that underwent Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy for cataracts.

Methods

In this prospective, cross-sectional study, 277 pseudophakic eyes of 216 patients treated with Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy for posterior capsule opacification were enrolled. Pulse number, pulse energy, and total energy were noted for each eye. All procedures were performed with a sense of anterior hyaloid protection. Anterior hyaloid faces were assessed during procedure and 1 day after the procedure. Eyes with biomicroscopically invisible anterior hyaloid face were excluded from statistical analysis. Eyes with and without AHD were compared according to Nd:YAG laser parameters. Retinal complications were evaluated at day 1, week 1, month 1, and month 3.

Results

In 22 eyes (7.9 % of 277 eyes), the anterior hyaloid face couldn’t be assessed biomicroscopically. Anterior hyaloid damage was observed in 49 eyes (19.2 % of 255 eyes). The pulse number, pulse energy, and total energy were observed to be higher in eyes with AHD (P?<?.001, P?=?.024, P?<?.001, respectively). Cystoid macular edema was detected in five eyes (three with AHD) at 1-week examination. Localized retinal detachment occurred in one eye with AHD. Occurrence of retinal complication in the AHD(+) group was 12.7 times higher than in the AHD(?) group, adjusted for total energy used (P?<?0.001).

Conclusion

The risk of AHD may increase with high pulse number, pulse energy, and total energy. Anterior hyaloid face integrity should be considered for YAG laser-related retinal complications.     

Laparoscopic management of chronic gastric volvulus: A case report

Gastric volvulus (GV) is a rare pathological entity, which is difficult to diagnose, may rapidly progress to infarction and necrosis of the stomach, and can be fatal. A 68-year-old woman presented to the surgical outpatient clinic of Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, in August, 2006, with a 3-month history of nausea, vomiting, and recurrent abdominal pain. Physical examination revealed epigastric tenderness, but otherwise within normal limits. An urgent abdominal computed tomographic examination revealed only a paraesophageal hernia. A mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus with a large paraesophageal hernia was found on laparoscopy. The surgical procedure involved derotation of the stomach and closure of the paraesophageal hernia with a dual V-shaped graft gastropexy to the triangular ligament of liver; in addition, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. We found that derotation of stomach and gastropexy to the triangular ligament is technically easy to perform and is a safe procedure in the treatment of gastric volvulus.