Giant cell tumor of the talar neck

We describe a patient with a giant cell tumor in the talar head and neck of the left foot who was diagnosed as having osteochondritis dissecans and treated with arthroscopic drilling in this same location 3 years earlier. Giant cell tumors can be confused with several conditions, including giant cell reparative granulomas, brown tumors, and aneurysmal bone cysts. Giant cell tumors of bone typically occur in the epiphysis of long bones, including the distal femur and proximal tibia. They are uncommonly found in the small bones of the foot or ankle, and talar involvement is rare. Despite this rarity, the radiographic appearance and clinical signs of talar lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis of nontraumatic conditions in the foot.     

Management of Incidentally Diagnosed Splenic Masses

The aim of this study is to consider the management of incidentally diagnosed splenic masses. Patients who underwent splenectomy between September 2005 and February 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with the history of lymphoproliferative disease were excluded. Radiologic evaluation was done in all patients. Preoperative tru-cut biopsies were performed on three patients. The patients were grouped according to the nature of the splenic mass such as cystic, benign, and malign lesions. The groups were compared according to age, gender, tumor size, and the number of lesions. There were 13 male and 12 female patients with the median age of 52 years (range 15–84 years). The final pathology revealed cyst in 7 patients (28.0%), benign lesion in 7 patients (28.0%), and malign lesion in 11 patients (44%). The results of tru-cut biopsies were similar with postoperative pathologies. Solitary lesions were detected in 15 patients, and there were multiple lesions in 10 cases. There was not a significant difference between the tumor sizes of malign vs. benign lesions (p = 0.42). Malignancy was a higher trend in multiple lesions (p = 0.06). Advanced radiologic imaging studies and more frequent and reliable use of percutaneous diagnostic procedures may limit the number of unnecessary splenectomies especially for benign lesions.     

Risk of recurrence after drug withdrawal in childhood epilepsy

ObjectivesAfter a reasonable seizure-free period, discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs (AED) is usually decided in epileptic patients despite the risk of seizure recurrence. In children, risk of recurrence after discontinuation of AED is generally 20–40%; however, there is still no general agreement on the criteria to predict safe discontinuation. This study was designed to determine the risk of recurrence and related risk factors after drug withdrawal in epileptic children.Methods200 epileptic patients between 1 month and 15 years of age who were followed at least 1 year after drug withdrawal at a child neurology center between January 1993 and December 2005 formed the study population of this retrospective study. Patients were classified into groups according to defined risk factors for recurrence.ResultsOf 200 patients (118 boys, 82 girls), overall recurrence rate was 27%. Girls were more likely to have a seizure recurrence than boys, with the difference approaching statistical significance (p = 0.058). EEG recordings after withdrawal (post-withdrawal EEG) in the follow-up were significantly different in the patients with recurrence with respect to presence of an abnormality (p = 0.05). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, female gender and abnormal post-withdrawal EEG were the risk factors influencing seizure recurrence, with female gender identified as the main risk factor.ConclusionsAlthough the decision to discontinue AED treatment necessitates evaluation of each patient individually, our study suggests that female patients and those with abnormal EEG after withdrawal require more cautious follow-up because of the high risk of recurrence.     

Psychiatric evaluation of children with CSWS (continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep) and BRE (benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes/rolandic epilepsy) compared to children with absence epilepsy and healthy controls

This investigation examined psychopathology and IQ levels in 30 children with CSWS and 42 children with BRE and compared them with 40 healthy controls and 23 children with absence epilepsy by using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS) and Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children (WISC-R). The CSWS and BRE groups had the highest rate of psychiatric diagnoses and lowest IQ scores. The BRE group had higher rates of psychopathology and lower IQ scores compared to the healthy controls. While BRE and absence groups did not differ with regard to presence of psychopathology, IQ levels and types of psychopathologies, children with CSWS had more psychiatric disorders and lower IQ scores compared to the patient group with absence epilepsy. These findings suggest that CSWS and BRE are two epileptic syndromes that lead to psychiatric disorders and lower IQ scores. Hence, psychiatric consultation should be a part of the treatment while managing these children.     

Do pure squamous cell carcinomas and urothelial carcinomas have similar prognosis after radical cystectomy?

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical treatment results of urothelial carcinoma (UC) and pure squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCC).

Methods

The records of 460 patients who have undergone radical cystectomy in our department between the years 1991 and 2011 were analyzed retrospectively, and 364 patients with UC and 60 patients with pure SCC were evaluated.

Results

Average ages of the patients with UC and SCC were 61.12 ± 8.9 and 59.38 ± 8.6 years, respectively (p = 0.902). UC group had 29 female patients, whereas SCC group had 9 female patients (p = 0.077). The mean follow-up periods were 26.09 ± 24.75 months for UC group and 22.23 ± 31.01 months for SCC group (p = 0.805). The incidence of organ-confined, extravesical, lymph node-positive diseases in UC and SCC cases was 48.9 and 32.2, 29.3 and 32.2 %, 21.8 and 35.6 %, respectively (p = 0.028). Five-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates were 57.5 % in UC and 39.1 % in SCC group (p = 0.011). Five-year DSS rates were 81.2 % in UC and 75.0 % in SCC group in organ-confined disease (p = 0.534) and 28.2 % in UC and 40.9 % in SCC group in extravesical disease (p = 0.845). In lymph node-positive patients, DSS time was 20.9 ± 2.85 months in UC and 12.8 ± 2.07 months in SCC patients (p = 0.182). In multivariate analysis, pT stage (HR: 2.221; 95 % CI: 1.695–2.911) and lymph node involvement (HR: 2.863; 95 % CI: 1.819–4.509) were independently associated with DSS (p < 0.001), but histological subtype (HR: 1.423; 95 % CI: 0.798–2.538) was not a statistically significant factor (p = 0.232).

Conclusions

Although pure SCC cases are diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease, UC and pure SCC cases have similar prognosis by stages. Lymph node involvement and stages are the most important prognostic factors after radical cystectomy.     

The role of ADAMTS genes in the end stage of hip osteoarthritis

PurposeThe aim of this study is to investigate which ADAMTS genes play a major role in the development of primary hip osteoarthritis, by comparing the tissue and blood samples in patients with hip osteoarthritis and a control group.Material and methodsHuman articular cartilage was obtained from femoral heads of 15 patients with end stage osteoarthritis undergoing total hip replacement. As the control group, the cartilages was obtained from femoral heads of 15 patients, who did not have osteoarthritis or degenerative changes in hip joint, undergoing hip replacement following the fracture of the femoral neck. After the cartilage samples were taken from the resection materials, the DNA polymorphisms in the patients' cartilage samples were tested by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), the serum levels of aggrecanase genes were analyzed with Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA).ResultsThe level of ADAMTS5 and ADAMTS9 genes were found significantly lower as a result of ELISA analysis degenerative arthritis group than the control group (p < 0,05). ADAMTS 1, 4, 8, 15 were similar between the two groups in ELISA analysis (p > 0,05). As a result of quantitative real time RT-PCR analysis, the level of ADAMTS8 mRNA increased 3.5 fold in hip degenerative arthritis group when compared with femoral neck fractures group. ADAMTS1, ADAMTS4 and ADAMTS5 expression levels in hip degenerative arthritis group were decreased 2.5, 2 and 2.5 fold, respectively. ADAMTS9, 15 were found to be similar between two groups.ConclusonAs a result of this study on hip osteoarthritis, the ADAMTS8 levels was found to be significantly higher in the end stage of hip osteoarthritis. Unlike similar studies on knee osteoarthritis, ADAMTS1,4,5 levels were found to be lower.     

Intercondylar fractures of the distal humerus treated with the triceps-reflecting anconeus pedicle approach

Introduction: Treatment choice for displaced, intercondylar fractures of the distal humerus is open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) through a posterior approach. The triceps-reflecting anconeus pedicle (TRAP) approach, combination of modified Kocher and Bryan-Morrey has been described as a conservative surgical exposure for fixation of the complex intercondylar fractures. Materials and methods: Eleven patients with intercondylar fractures of the humerus operated with this approach were reviewed. The mean follow-up was 26 (14–40) months. The aetiology of injuries was mostly fall on the elbow. There were five females and six males and the average age of the patients was 58.3 years (range 16–70 years). Results: According to Müller et al.’s classification; five were Type C1, four were Type C2 and, two were Type C3. At the final follow-up; Type C1 and C2 fractures had a ROM of 116° (range 95°–140°) and, Type C3 fractures had a ROM of 85° which showed limitation of elbow motion. Average humerotrochlear angle is 93.4° (range 90°–98°). Two patients had transient n.ulnaris paraesthesia and one had heterotopic ossification. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that TRAP approach is extensile enough in treating these complex fractures however both articular reconstruction and fixation can be easily managed without creating an olecranon fracture. No significant triceps weakness and dysfunction was observed after TRAP approach in the treatment of the intercondylar fractures of the humerus. Preliminary results of this study was presented at the 6th European Trauma Congress in Prague, Czech Republic on 16-19 May 2004. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Incidental bilateral leydig cell tumor of the testes

Testis tumors are extremely rare tumors, especially if they are bilateral, interstitial tumors. We present a case with bilateral Leydig cell tumors, which were detected incidentally. First, radical left orchiectomy was performed and pathologic diagnosis was Leydig cell tumor. One week later, partial right orchiectomy was done. The diagnosis was the same. After the 12-month follow-up, no recurrence or metastasis was detected. We suggest organ-sparing surgery as an alternative in the treatment of bilateral Leydig cell tumors especially for young males, since this surgical approach prevents hormonal replacement therapy and maintains fertility and potency.