Surgery for Hepatolithiasis: Single Center Experience of 12 Patients

Hellenic Journal of Surgery - Hepatolithiasis is the presence of stones within the intrahepatic bile ducts, regardless of common bile duct and gallbladder stones. It is rarely seen in our country...     

Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

PurposeTo evaluate the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).MethodsFifty-six patients with NAION and 60 age-sex matched healthy controls were included in the study. Demographic characteristics and laboratory findings of the patients and the controls were obtained from the electronic medical records. NLR, PLR, MLR, and SII were calculated and compared between the groups. Cutoff values were also determined.ResultsNeutrophil, monocyte and platelet counts were higher in the NAION group than in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The mean NLR and SII were higher in the NAION group than in the control group (p = 0.004 and p = 0.011, respectively). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the areas under the curve for NLR were 0.67, and NLR >1.79 predicted NAION with a sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 59%. The areas under the curve for SII was 0.66, and SII of >417 predicted NAION with a sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 49%. There was no significant difference in PLR and MLR between the groups (p = 0.105 and p = 0.347, respectively).ConclusionsThe current study demonstrated that NAION patients had increased NLR and SII levels compared with control subjects. Elevated NLR and SII might serve as readily available inflammatory predictors in NAION patients.     

Effects of the recreational use of PDE5 inhibitors on the corpus cavernosum of young,healthy rats

Purpose

PDE5 inhibitors are widely used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. However, these drugs have recently become popular among men without erectile dysfunction as a means of enhancing sexual performance and improving sexual desire. The aim of this study was to investigate the histopathological and ultrastructural effects of PDE5 inhibitors on the corpus cavernosum in young, healthy male rats.

Methods

Twenty-four 4-month-old male rats were divided into four groups: group 1 was the control group, group 2 rats received sildenafil citrate, group 3 rats received vardenafil hydrochloride, and group 4 rats received tadalafil. All drugs were administered for 4 weeks. Penile tissue was collected for electron microscopy and tissue collagen measurements. Electron microscopic analysis indicated that the number of active fibroblasts and macrophages and the synthesis of new collagen fibers increased in treated rats.

Results

Cavernous tissue collagen levels were significantly higher in the sildenafil-, vardenafil-, and tadalafil-treated groups than in controls (46.16 ± 4.9, 42.06 ± 2.4, 41.07 ± 2.4, and 29.20 ± 3.3, respectively) (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Young men who use these drugs to enhance performance in the absence of erectile dysfunction may experience irreversible damage to the cavernosal tissue. However, more studies are needed to evaluate the molecular mechanisms by which PDE5 inhibitors affect the corpus cavernosum.     

Malnutrition,associated clinical factors,and depression in systemic sclerosis: a cross-sectional study

Clinical Rheumatology - The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between malnutrition and the clinical features of the disease and depression in patients with systemic sclerosis...     

Management of ear keloids using custom-molded pressure clips: a preliminary study

Background

The application of mechanical pressure by compression devices has gained popularity in the treatment of keloid scars. In this present study, we analyze the long-term efficacy of our custom-molded pressure clip for ear keloids. Our secondary objective is to identify risk factors for the failure of the treatment in the group of the recurrence.

Methods

The patient group consisted of 9 men and 19 women with a mean age of 27 years and a mean follow-up of 8.5 years. For evaluation of the scars, scoring ratings, Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), and SF8-questionnaire have been used.

Results

Follow-up observations showed that 71 % were treated successfully. There were significant differences in the Fitzpatrick scale, cause of the ear keloids, overall opinion, and openness for re-treatment between the recurrence and nonrecurrence group. Furthermore, treatment with our custom-molded pressure ear clip resulted in a statistically significant improvement of all the item scores of the POSAS in both the patient and observer scales. Severe complications such as infections or necrosis were not noted.

Conclusions

In this study, we show that the results of adjuvant pressure therapy with our custom-molded ear clips are comparable with the recurrence rates of other studies recently published. The strength of this study is the long follow-up. Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study     

Obesity and COVID-19: The Two Sides of the Coin

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a pandemic on March 12, 2020. COVID-19 is causing massive health problems and economic suffering around the world. The European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) promptly recognised the impact that the outbreak could have on people with obesity. On one side, emerging data suggest that obesity represents a risk factor for a more serious and complicated course of COVID-19 in adults. On the other side, the health emergency caused by the outbreak diverts attention from the prevention and care of non-communicable chronic diseases to communicable diseases. This might be particularly true for obesity, a chronic and relapsing disease frequently neglected and linked to significant bias and stigmatization. The Obesity Management Task Force (OMTF) of EASO contributes in this paper to highlighting the key aspects of these two sides of the coin and suggests some specific actions.