Intrahepatic hematoma: a rare complication of exchange transfusion

A four-day-old male neonate who underwent three exchange transfusions for jaundice owing to ABO incompatibility on three consecutive days is presented. A large intrahepatic hematoma developed as a complication of the third exchange transfusion. The baby fully recovered.     

Mandibular involvement of solitary plasmocytoma: a case report

Plasma cell neoplasms (multiple myeloma, solitary plasmocytoma of bone and extra medullar plasmocytoma) are characterized by a monoclonal neoplastic proliferation of plasma cells. Solitary plasmocytoma of bone (SPB) is a localized form of them. SPB is most frequently seen in vertebrae and secondarily in long bones. Its presence in jaws is extremely rare and when it is seen, angulus and ramus mandible are most common sites of occurrence. Prognosis of SPB is worse than extra medullar plasmacytoma (EMP) and approximately 50% of SPB will transform to multiple myelom. A 76-year old woman consulted to our clinic with a chief complaint of slowly developed swelling in her mandible. She had an operation from caput femur because of plasmocytoma two months before. Panoramic radiography revealed a radiolucent lesion in the mandibular anterior region, 60x35 mm in dimension. Aspiration biopsy was performed and histopathological examination was reported as plasmocytoma. She was referred to the oncology department for treatment but died before the treatment finished.     

D-dimer in the early diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia secondary to arterial occlusion in rats

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia can be life saving. The aim of this study is to investigate the time-dependent diagnostic value of plasma D-dimer and other ancillary laboratory evaluations such as creatine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, amylase, and leukocyte count in an experimental superior mesenteric arterial occlusion (SMA-O) model in rats. METHODS: Forty male Wistar-Albino rats were separated into 4 groups: 2-, 4-, 6-, and 12-hour SMA-O groups. After laparotomy, the SMA was identified and ligated for 2, 4, 6 and 12 h in the 4 respective study groups. Blood samples were taken for laboratory tests 2 h after laparotomy in the control group and at the end of the ischemic period in the study groups. RESULTS: The longer the duration of mesenteric ischemia, the higher were the serum D-dimer levels in the study groups, and statistical significance was obtained at 2 h (p = 0.021). Sensitivity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of the relation were 88.8, 88.8, 100 and 90%, respectively. Leukocyte count was significantly higher than controls after 12 h. No other laboratory parameter correlated positively with the duration of mesenteric ischemia. CONCLUSION: Serum D-dimer measurements may be a valuable diagnostic parameter in the early diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia.     

Familial ossifying fibromas: report of two cases

Ossifying fibroma is a benign fibro-osseous lesion of the jaw containing varying amounts of calcified deposits such as bone, cementum or both. This type of lesion is referred to as dysplastic or neoplastic in nature. In 2000, a 52-year-old male patient was referred to our clinic complaining of a giant swelling in the mandibular premolar-molar region. A histopathological diagnosis of ossifying fibroma was made. Three months later, his daughter was admitted with a swelling on her mandible. Following biopsy, this patient was also diagnosed as having ossifying fibroma. The present report describes these two cases of familial and multiple ossifying fibromas.     

Sphenoid sinus mucocele causing third nerve paralysis: CT and MR findings

A 64-year-old woman presented with a 2 week history of ptosis and medial-gaze paralysis of her left eye. Computed tomography scanning of the paranasal sinuses revealed an expansile, homogeneous lesion with no contrast enhancement in the sphenoid sinus. The mass was hyperintense on all MR sequences and there was extension of the mass to the left cavernous sinus and optic canal. Operation revealed a large mucocele. Third nerve palsy disappeared 4 weeks after operation. Because the spread of mucoceles is variable, they may cause different symptoms. Radiological evaluation, especially computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, are useful in diagnosis of mucoceles and help to explain the clinical symptoms by showing the spread of the lesion.     

Pulmonary actinomycosis mimicking chest wall tumor in a child

Actinomycosis is an uncommon disease in children and most cases are cervicofacial infections. To date, there have been only a few reports on children with chest wall involvement due to actinomycosis. Here we report a 9-year-old girl with a mass lesion in the chest wall mimicking Ewing's sarcoma of the rib. Thoracic actinomycosis without typical features of the disease is often evaluated with the suspicion of neoplasia. This rare entity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of mass lesions of the chest wall in children. The disease responds well to penicillin treatment.