Multiple brain metastases from malignant thymoma.

A rare case of thymic carcinoma with multiple brain metastasis is reported. In our extensive review of the literature only six of 30 reports of intracranial thymoma metastasis describe multiple metastases. A 38-year-old man presented with signs of raised intracranial pressure that had began 15 days previously. Cranial MRI revealed over 70 cystic lesions in the supra and infratentorial regions. Stereotactic biopsy was planned. On the second day of his admission he deteriorated and died the following day. The autopsy revealed a mass in the mediastinum. In the brain parenchyma were multiple cystic lesions between 0.5 and 3 cm in diameter. Histopathologically they were diagnosed as metastases from the thymic carcinoma. The mean survival with a single brain metastasis is approximately 256 days, whereas with multiple brain metastases it is only 64 days, thus treatment of this tumor demands prompt surgery whenever possible and optimal adjuvant therapy.     

The clinical impact of Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System classification in patients with haemospermia undergoing multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of the prostate

In this study, we evaluated the role of the Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) classification of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) to determine the likelihood of prostate cancer (PCa) in patients with haemospermia. Fifty-one patients presenting with haemospermia between 2018 and 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Forty-two of the patients (82.4%) were over 40 years, and the median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 1.4 ng/ml. Fourteen of the patients (27.5%) had recurrent haemospermia. All patients underwent mpMRI, and assessments were classified according to PI-RADS v2. The mpMRI revealed PI-RADS one to four lesions in 10 (19.6%), 30 (58.8%), 6 (11.8%) and 5 (9.8%) patients respectively. One patient with PI-RADS 3 and five with PI-RADS 4 lesions underwent cognitive fusion prostate biopsy depending on MRI findings, and two patients with PI-RADS 4 lesions were diagnosed with PCa. Patients with haemospermia and risk factors, that is aged over 40 years, a high PSA level or familial history of PCa, need a more thorough evaluation with mpMRI.     

The correlation of plasma homocysteine with insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome

AIM: This study aims to investigate the existence of any relationship between homocysteine levels and insulin resistance in Turkish women with polycystic ovary syndrome. METHODS: A case-controlled, cross-sectional, observational study was undertaken in a total of 94 infertile Turkish women who required professional help in the Department of Infertility of Dr Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital. The correlation between serum homocysteine with age, body mass index, hormone profile, fasting insulin and glucose concentrations and insulin resistance were examined in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and the results were compared to those of women with normal ovaries, who served as a control group. RESULTS: The mean serum fasting glucose and insulin levels, thus insulin resistance index of women with polycystic ovary syndrome, were significantly higher than those of the control subjects. The mean serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in women with polycystic ovary syndrome than those in the control group. A positive correlation was detected between the mean homocysteine, the insulin resistance index determined by homeostasis model assessment and the fasting insulin levels in polycystic ovary syndrome patients. CONCLUSIONS: Serum homocysteine levels are elevated in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, and this elevation is associated with the serum insulin level rather than androgen excess. The intense treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia in women with polycystic ovary syndrome might improve reproductive outcome and contribute to protection from cardiovascular risks.     

Maintenance of the celiac trunk with the left-sided liver allograft for in situ split-liver transplantation

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that in situ split-liver transplantation (SLT) expands the cadaveric donor pool, decreases recipient waiting time, and decreases pretransplant morbidity. However, the technique as previously described requires a microvascular left hepatic artery anastomosis. In an attempt to decrease the incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis and to increase collaboration among transplant teams, in the current report, we describe a modification of the in situ SLT technique that maintains the celiac trunk with the left-sided liver allograft. METHODS: Twelve in situ split-liver procurements resulted in 24 segmental liver allografts; 11 right trisegments, 11 left lateral segments, 1 right lobe, and 1 left lobe. The common bile duct and main portal vein were maintained with the right-sided liver allograft in all cases. The right hepatic artery was divided, and the celiac trunk was maintained with the left-sided liver allograft in nine cases. In one case the left hepatic artery was divided and the celiac trunk was maintained with the right-sided allograft. Two of the 12 donors had a completely replaced left hepatic artery originating from the left gastric artery, which was divided at its origin from the celiac trunk. When the celiac trunk was maintained with the left-sided allografts, arterial reconstruction of the right-sided allograft was performed with an external iliac arterial interposition graft. Nineteen of the 24 split-liver allografts were transplanted at our center. The remaining five liver allografts were shared with regional liver transplant centers. RESULTS: In this series, 1-year actuarial patient and allograft survival rates are 100% and 96%, respectively. Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) did not occur in any patient receiving a left-sided split allograft in which the celiac trunk or left gastric artery was maintained; in addition, HAT did not occur in any of the right-sided allografts. HAT did occur immediately after transplantation in the one patient who was transplanted with a left lateral segment without the celiac trunk. This allograft was salvaged by early thrombectomy and interposition grafting. One patient required retransplantation, owing to portal vein thrombosis. Hepatic venous outflow obstruction did not occur in any of the patients. Two patients required reexploration in the posttransplant period because of arterial anastomotic site bleeding, and one of the left lateral segment allograft recipients had a cut-surface bile leak, which was managed nonoperatively. All of the patients are alive and well, including the five patients who received their transplants at other centers, with a median follow-up of 10 months (range, 1-27 months). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our data demonstrate that maintaining the celiac trunk with the left-sided allograft in SLT provides excellent early survival results with low complication rates. This technical modification obviates the need for a left hepatic artery microvascular anastomosis and should lower the incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis in the small-caliber left hepatic artery. We have also shown that this technique allows sharing among liver transplant centers without compromise in patient or allograft survival rates. It is hoped that this modification in SLT will increase the number of livers split, and will promote sharing among transplant centers to truly optimize the number of liver allografts available from the cadaveric pool.     

Role of drug efflux carriers in the healthy and diseased brain

The blood-brain barrier is a natural diffusion barrier, which expresses active carriers extruding drugs on their way to the brain back into the blood against concentration gradients. Whereas these so-called adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporters prevent the brain entry of toxic compounds under physiological conditions, they complicate pharmacotherapies in neurological disease. Recent observations in animal models of ischemic stroke, drug-resistant epilepsy, and brain cancer showed that the prototype of ABC transporters, ABCB1, is upregulated on brain injury, deactivation of this carrier considerably enhancing the accumulation of neuroprotective, antiepileptic, and chemotherapeutic compounds. These studies provide the proof of concept that the efficacy of brain-targeting drugs may significantly be improved when drug efflux is blocked. Under clinical conditions, efforts currently are made to enhance drug accumulation by selecting new compounds that do not bind to efflux carriers or deactivating ABC transporters by targeted downregulation or pharmacological inhibition. We predict that strategies aiming at circumventing drug efflux may greatly facilitate progress in neurological therapies.