Intrathecal sufentanil (1.5 µg) added to hyperbaric bupivacaine (0.5%) for elective cesarean section provides adequate analgesia without need for pruritus therapy

Purpose We compared the effects of different doses of intrathecal sufentanil when administered together with hyperbaric bupivacaine for elective caesarean section. Methods This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial involving 100 pregnant women, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-II, who were scheduled for elective caesarean section under spinal anesthesia. The patients were assigned to four groups according to the dose of sufentanil used: no sufentanil (group I; placebo) or 1.5, 2.5, or 5.0 μg sufentanil (groups 2–4, respectively). In every group, the local anesthetic used was hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% (12.5 mg), and the total volume of the solution was 3.5 ml. The duration of complete analgesia, maternal side effects, and maternal/fetal outcomes were recorded. The duration of complete analgesia was defined as the time from intrathecal injection to a vernal analogue score (VAS) of more than 0. Results No patient experienced intraoperative pain. The duration of complete analgesia was prolonged in all groups receiving opioids. The duration of the analgesia and the 0- to 6-h intravenous analgesic requirements were similar in the sufentanil groups. Moreover, the sufentanil groups had longer durations of complete analgesia than the placebo group. Pruritus was more frequent in the 2.5- and 5-μg sufentanil groups than in the 1.5-μg sufentanil and placebo groups. There were no differences among the groups in umbilical cord blood gases on in neonatal Apgar scores. Conclusion The addition of sufentanil 1.5 and 2.5 μg to hyperbaric bupivacaine provided adequate anesthesia for caesarean delivery and good postoperative analgesia. In addition, the incidence of pruritus was significantly lower in the 1.5-μg sufentanil group when compared with that in the 2.5- and 5-μg groups.     

Ectodermal dysplasia: Retrospective study of fifteen cases

The aim of this article is to review possible cranio-maxillofacial deformative consequences associated with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia and embryonic malformations, which include dental ageneses, and describe the oral habilitation. Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia patients had a clinical examination and underwent radiographic and Steiner's analyses and a respiratory capability test before assessment and treatment. Fifteen patients (eight males and seven females, aged 5-45 years) had tooth ageneses (from hypodontia to anodontia) associated with cutaneous dyshydrosis and hair and nail dystrophy. Most patients had sparse or absent hair, a short face with an unusual facial concavity, a maxillary retrusion and a relative mandibular protrusion. Dentists must conduct a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to these patients in order to improve their dental, masticatory, growth and orthognathic conditions.     

Flow cytometrical analysis of adhesion molecules, T-lymphocyte subpopulations and inflammatory markers in pterygium

BACKGROUND/AIM: Pterygium is a relatively frequent ocular surface disease with an unexplained etiopathogenesis. Our study was carried out with the aim to identify the presence of inflammatory cells and mediators such as T-lymphocyte subgroups (CD4 and CD8), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) in pterygium tissue. METHODS: Pterygium tissue, obtained from 24 patients, and normal conjunctival tissue, from the nasal bulbar conjunctiva obtained from 14 patients operated for ocular perforations or vitrectomy, were separated into epithelial and stromal components under the microscope and suspended with phosphate-buffered saline solution to form a suspension. Cell suspensions were treated with specific antibodies for ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and HLA-DR and T-lymphocyte subgroups and evaluated with flow cytometry. The obtained data were compared statistically. RESULTS: When compared to the control tissue samples, higher rates of ICAM-1-positive cells, VCAM-1-positive cells and HLA-DR-positive cells were recorded in pterygium tissue samples. CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes were also found to be at higher levels when compared to the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: When compared with normal conjunctival tissue, pterygium tissue had increased levels of T-lymphocyte infiltration and inflammatory markers demonstrating the possible contribution of cellular immunity to the pathogenesis.     

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in a child

Squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx is extremely rare in children. We present a 13-year-old girl with squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx whose father was a coal-miner and a heavy smoker.     

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome in siblings (with a brief review of the literature)

We report a brother and a sister with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. The girl had all the manifestations of this condition; her brother was less severely affected. Both showed mental and growth retardation. The literature on this syndrome is reviewed.     

Bioconversion of methanol to formaldehyde: 1 by free whole cell and immobilized whole cell of yeast Hansenula polymorpha

Modified methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha (HP A16) was used in this study, which was obtained with recrossing a leucine oxotrophic yeast and a wild type Hansenula polymorpha CB4732 and was discovered by Ogata et al. The yeast is grown with methanol as a sole carbon source in which methanol oxidase (MOX) is a key enzyme of methanol metabolism. Because of its stability and low substrate specificity, alcohol oxidase is of considerable interest for a range of biotechnological processes. Various methanol feeding regimes were evaluated in an effort to increase the biomass concentration and productivity that could be achieved from fermentations using the other Hansenula polymorpha species. This yeast was grown by batch fermentation. The effects of conditions of inoculation media for increasing amount of MOX enzyme in peroksizomes of yeast with MOX activity were observed. The highest MOX activity of yeast was found within optic density of grown media of OD600 1.5, at 0.35 microM of methanol as used an oxotrophic substrate, at 35 degrees C temperature, at pH 7.0 of 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (KPB), at 40 microL of buffered yeast cell volume and at the incubation time of 50 minutes. Whole yeast cells were cultivated at above optimized incubation conditions. The cells were immobilized within the polyacyrlamide gels by entrapment method. Free whole cells and immobilized whole cells were compared using bioconversion percentages of methanol to formaldehyde.     

Increased acylation stimulating protein concentrations in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are associated with insulin resistance

OBJECTIVES: As acylation stimulating protein (ASP) acts on adipocytes mainly as a paracrine factor to increase triglyceride synthesis and storage; hypothetically, it may play a similar role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: Forty-six male patients with NAFLD (group A), age-matched 30 male patients with chronic viral hepatitis (group B) and 30 age-matched and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy male subjects were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: Among the NAFLD patients, 10 patients (24.4%) had simple steatosis and 36 patients (69.6%) had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The mean levels of ASP, complement 3, insulin, C-peptide, HOMA-IR, triglyceride, and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) were significantly higher in group A patients than both controls and group B. ASP levels correlated significantly in a positive manner with BMI, insulin, and HOMA-IR. CONCLUSIONS: Dysregulation of the ASP pathway may have important metabolic consequences in NASH and is associated with insulin resistance.     

Metastasis from breast carcinoma to a tamoxifen-related endometrial polyp

BACKGROUND: Metastasis of extragenital neoplasms to an endometrial polyp is rare and until now, only 6 cases of such involvement has been described. CASE: A 58-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed 4 years ago with infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma and treated with surgery and tamoxifen therapy, was admitted to the gynecology clinic because of endometrial thickening observed during a routine abdominal ultrasonographic examination. A total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Pathological examination of the specimen showed a large polyp which microscopically showed clusters of cells with signet ring morphology within the polyp stroma. The positivity of tumor cells for GCDFP-15 supported the diagnosis of metastatic breast carcinoma to endometrial polyp. CONCLUSION: Metastatic breast carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of carcinomas with signet ring cell morphology involving uterus.     

Effects of laparoscopic tubal ligation on ovarian blood flow and steroidogenesis

Changes in serum ovarian hormone and gonadotrophine levels and ovarian artery blood flow rate by Doppler ultrasonography following laparoscopic tubal sterilization were evaluated. Forty-seven cases of laparoscopic tubal sterilization by electrocoagulation were included in the study. Forty-two women who used nonhormonal contraceptive methods were randomized as a control group. Serum concentrations of estradiol, FSH, LH, progesterone and bilateral ovarian artery pulsatility indexes were measured at baseline and at three, six and 12 months. In the study group, the mean value of midluteal progesterone was significantly decreased three months postoperatively 3. and bilateral ovarian artery pulsatility indexes were increased three and six months postoperatively, compared to their preoperative values. However, there was no statistical difference between bilateral ovarian PI values calculated preoperatively and at 12 months. Laparoscopic tubal ligation by electrocoagulation may temporarily cause reduced bilateral ovarian artery flow and corpus luteum dysfunction proven by low mid-luteal progesterone levels.     

Ependymal tumors in childhood

BACKGROUND: Ependymal tumors are classified as ependymoma (benign or low grade) versus anaplastic ependymoma (malignant or high grade). Ependymomas represent 5-10% of intracranial neoplasm in children. In this study, demographic data and the treatment results of pediatric patients with ependymal tumors, treated in a single institute, is reported. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1989 and 2001, 40 (22 M/18 F) previously untreated patients with a median age of 5.5 years (3 months-15 years), of histologically proven ependymal tumors (except ependymoblastomas) were referred to the Institute of Oncology, University of Istanbul. The localization was supratentorial in 18, infratentorial in 20, both supra and infratentorial in two patients. Histologic subgroups were 18 ependymomas (43.6%), and 22 anaplastic ependymomas (56.4%). Total tumor resection was performed in 20 patients (50%), subtotal in 18 patients (45%), and biopsy only in 2 patients (5%). Postoperative treatment consisted of regional (8 patients) or craniospinal (CSI) (9 patients) radiotherapy (RT) in patients with ependymoma; regional (7 patients) or CSI RT (14 patients) with chemotherapy (ChT) in patients with anaplastic ependymoma; ChT only (1 patient) in patients less than 3 years of age. The standard technique for posterior fossa irradiation was parallel-opposed lateral fields and total dose was 45-54 Gy. Between September 1989 and May 1991 patients received regimen A, which consisted of RT followed by eight-in-one ChT, given every 4 weeks for eight courses. Patients who were treated between June 1991 and July 1994, received regimen B, which included two courses of postoperative "VEC" (vincristine, etoposide, cisplatin) ChT, administered every 3 weeks, followed by RT applied with low dose concomitant cisplatin used as a radiosensitizer. Patients with objective response to postoperative "VEC" continued to have "VEC" after completion of RT for six more courses. From August 1994 on, patients received regimen C, consisting of RT and concomitant infusion of cisplatin followed by "VCPCU" (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, procarbazine, lomustine) administered every 4 weeks for eight courses. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients were included in the outcome and survival data. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 64.9%, and the 5-year progression-free survival rate was 50.8% for the whole series. Median time for progression or relapse was 24.3 months and there were 19 patients (43.6%) with relapse or progression. Non-metastatic patients (P = 0.0008, 5-year OS rate was 82% vs. 29%), and totally resected patients (P = 0.01, 5-year OS rate was 80% vs. 55%), and > or =3 years of age (P = 0.04, 5-year OS rate was 75% vs. 38%) had significantly better outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of complete responders were patients who had total tumor removal. Treatment failure occurred mainly within the first 2 years, and outcome was dismal for patients who relapsed or had progressive disease. The median age at diagnosis is 6 years in our patient group; younger children (less than 3 years old) have less favorable outcome. There was no significant difference in survival or progression-free survival between the two histologic subtypes.