Diabetic muscular infarct: an unusual cause of extremity pain and dysfunction

Diabetic muscular infarct (DMI) is a rare condition, which begins with acute onset of extremity pain and swelling. Patients usually have long-standing disease and poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM). Thigh muscle group is the most commonly involved side, while lower leg involvement is rare. We represent herein a 22-year-old patient with type I DM who admitted to our outpatient clinic due to painful swelling of the left leg. In physical examination, anterior left leg was painful and firm on palpation; there was diffuse swelling extending to the knee and ankle with mild local fever and redness. T2-weighted MRI demonstrated hyperintensity in left leg muscles. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of DMI. She was treated with glucose regulation, analgesics, antiplatelet treatment and rest. At her 6 months, recurrence of DMI was observed. DMI should be considered in diabetic patients with extremity pain and swelling. Treatment plan should include the regulation of the blood glucose and evaluation of end-organ complications, analgesia, and bed rest.     

A Case Report of Priapism Caused by Ziprasidon

Priapism is defined as having prolonged (more than 6 h), and usually painful penile erection that occurs without a sexual desire or arousal. Only a very few priapism cases caused by ziprasidone are reported in the literature. In this case report we aimed to present a prolonged penile erection due to use of ziprasidone.     

Short-term antidepressant treatment of comorbid dental anxiety in patients with panic disorder

Objectives. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of dental anxiety (DA) and dental phobia (DP) in panic disorder, and to follow the changes in DA levels during antidepressant treatment of panic disorder. Methods. Fifty-three controls and 102 panic disorder patients were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID), the Panic-Agoraphobia Scale (PAS), and the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). Oral health status was defined by the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. The patients were classified into three groups: (1) those without dental anxiety (WDA), (2) those with dental anxiety (DA), and (3) those with dental phobia (DP). All patients were treated with antidepressants for 3 months and the response rates were assessed. Results. At baseline, DAS was significantly higher in both the DA and the DP groups than in the control group. Ten (9.8%) of the panic disorder patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for DP; 31 (30.4%) had severe DA. In the control group, none of the patients was diagnosed as DP, whereas 7 (13.5%) had severe DA. Panic disorder and DA both responded to the antidepressant treatment, but DAS scores remained significantly higher in the DP group than in the DA group and the control group at the end of the third month. Conclusions. Our data suggest that both DA and DP are more frequent in panic disorder than in healthy controls. Antidepressant treatment may have been helpful in decreasing DA levels in the DA group but not in the DP group.     

Synergistic effect of multiple predisposing risk factors on the development of bezoars

AIM: To describe the clinical characteristics of patients with gastric or intestinal bezoars recently treated in our hospital.METHODS: In this study, a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients with gastrointestinal bezoars, who were treated at the Samsun Education and Research Hospital between January 2006 and March 2011, was conducted. Data on demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, history of risk factors, diagnostic procedures, localization of bezoars, treatment interventions, and postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were collected and evaluated.RESULTS: Forty-two patients [26 (61.9%) males and 16 (31.1%) females] with a mean ± SD (range) age of 55.8 ± 10.5 (37-74) years were enrolled in this study. Thirty-six patients (85.7%) had one or more predisposing risk factors for gastrointestinal bezoars. The most common predisposing risk factor was a history of previous gastric surgery which was identified in 18 patients (42.8%). Twenty three patients (54.8%) had multiple predisposing risk factors. Phytobezoars were identified in all patients except one who had a trichobezoar in the stomach. Non-operative endoscopic fragmentation was performed either initially or after unsuccessful medical treatment in 14 patients with gastric bezoars and was completely successful in 10 patients (71.5%). Surgery was the most frequent treatment method in our study, which was required in 28 patients (66.7%). Intestinal obstruction secondary to bezoars was the most common complication (n = 18, 42.8%) in our study.CONCLUSION: The presence of multiple predisposing factors may create a synergistic effect in the development of bezoars.     

The effects of Pilates on metabolic control and physical performance in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Physical activity is a substantial method in the management of children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus but it is not considered as a treatment for diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Pilates exercises on metabolic control and physical performance in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Thirty one sedentary patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, ranging in age from 12 to 17 (experimental group, n=17 and control group, n=14) were submitted to 12 weeks of Pilates training. Participants underwent tests to determine the physical performance and metabolic control before and after 12 weeks of Pilates session. At the end of study, there were significant alterations in physical performance of the study group. Peak power, mean power, vertical jump and flexibility of study group increased. There were no alterations for this parameters in the control group. There was no significant difference for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in both groups. Conclusions: Physical performance increased via Pilates exercises in the patients with type 1 DM. However there were no changes in metabolic control. In the present study, the positive effects of exercise on metabolic control could not be shown in patients with Type 1 DM.     

Impacts of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy on retinal anatomy and neurophysiology in diabetic macular edema

International Ophthalmology - To evaluate anatomical and neuroretinal functional aspects in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor...