Imaging in secondary tumors of the ovary

Abdominal Radiology - Metastatic involvement of the ovaries is not rare. The most common tumor types metastasizing to the ovaries, from non-gynecological organs, are breast, colorectal, gastric,...     

The effect of ethanol intake on tendon healing: a histological and biomechanical study in a rat model

Introduction  

Ethanol has a suppressive effect on inflammation and the immune system, but the effect of ethanol on tendon healing in vivo has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the histological and biomechanical effects of ethanol intake on tendon healing in a rat tendon injury model.     

Stereological evaluation of liver volume in living donor liver transplantation using MDCT via the Cavalieri method.

In living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), obtaining the precise volume of the graft is very important to decrease volume-related postoperative complications, especially in cases with suspected small-for size grafts. We used stereology based on the Cavalieri method (CM), a new method to measure liver graft volume, and compared the results with those obtained through intraoperative measurement (IOM) and through multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) measurement. Liver volumes estimated using the 3 methods were well-correlated with each other (r(2) = 0.94 and P < 0.001 for IOM and CM; r(2) = 0.91 and P < 0.001 for IOM and MDCT, and r(2) = 0.95 and P < 0.001 for CM and MDCT); however, they were different from each other (in descending order, 908 +/- 124 cm(2), 861 +/- 121 cm(2), and 777 +/- 168 cm(2) for MDCT, CM, and IOM, respectively). Although MDCT and CM overestimated the volumes, the results of CM were almost similar to those obtained via IOM. In conclusion, our results suggest that CM measured the liver graft volume more reliably. Thus, its use, particularly in cases with suspected small-for-size graft, may prove useful.     

The role of bone scintigraphy in the assessment of chronic wrist pain without any trauma history

Bone scintigraphy of the hands and wrists represents an important adjunct imaging technique that complements plain film radiographic examination in the evaluation of chronic wrist pain. In this study, the effectiveness of bone scintigraphy was investigated in the evaluation of chronic wrist pain in the patients without the history of trauma and any radiological and rheumatological abnormalities. Seventy-one patients with normal conventional radiographs and unexplained wrist pain were evaluated prospectively between 1998 and 2003 in our hand surgery clinic. There was no trauma history and no specific physical examination findings in the patients. The bone scintigraphy was done in all patients. Fifty-two of the all patients had normal scintigram. Seventeen of the remaining 19 patients showed increased activity over triquetrum (5 cases), lunatum (4 cases), trapezium (4 cases), hamatum (2 cases) and psiforme (2 cases). As the additional radiological investigations like MRI and CT revealed no bony abnormalities, the results of bone scintigraphy were evaluated as chronic ligamentous injuries. Two patients had diffuse increased uptake compatible with synovitis. The evaluation of bone scintigraphy correlated with clinical findings is effective to choose the most efficient treatment method in chronic wrist pain.     

Effects of Hypothermia on Blood Endogenous Endotoxin Levels During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

A bstract Endotoxin activates white blood cells and complement and produces a spectrum of clinical syndromes ranging from fever to septic shock. Although production of endogenous endotoxemia during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has recently been reported, the role of hypothermia on endotoxemia is not clear. In this study, we evaluated the effects of moderate (24–28°C) and mild (32–34°C) hypothermia on blood endotoxin levels. The study population consisted of 20 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with CPB. Moderate systemic hypothermia was applied during aortic cross-clamping in ten patients (group 1) and mild hypothermia in the remaining ten patients (group 2). The mean rectal temperatures were 26.8 ± 1.2°C in group 1 and 33.8 ± 0.8°C in group 2. The blood samples for endotoxin level measurements were obtained before CPB, during aortic cross-clamping, immediately after the release of the cross-clamp, 20 minutes after the release of the cross-clamp, after CPB, and 2 hours postoperatively. There were no endotoxins in any of the samples before CPB, but it was detected after CPB in both groups. The endotoxin levels were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2. The present study suggests that when hypothermia is the technique of choice, the deleterious effects of endotoxemia on patients with comorbidity must be considered.     

Brucella peritonitis and leucocytoclastic vasculitis due to Brucella melitensis.

Brucellosis is a multisystemic disease that rarely leads to a fatal outcome. While reticuloendothelial system organs are mostly affected, peritonitis and posthepatitic cirrhosis are also complications of brucellosis, though they are very rare. Brucella spp. can also trigger immunological reactions. We report a case of brucellosis with peritonitis, renal failure and leucocytoclastic vasculitis caused by Brucella melitensis, which led to a fatal outcome. Brucellosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vasculitic diseases, especially in endemic areas.     

The phenotypic overlap of syndromes associated with hereditary gingival fibromatosis: follow-up of a family for five years.

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is characterized by the slowly progressive fibrous enlargement of gingival tissue. It usually develops as an isolated disorder but can also be one feature of various syndromes. The currently preferred terminology of these syndromes mainly describes the clinical features of the disorder without identifying the cause. In this report, we present the 5-year follow up of a family with HGF and features of 3 previously described syndromes: Jones syndrome, Zimmerman-Laband syndrome, and HGF-hypertrichosis syndrome. The 45-year-old father had HGF, hypertrichosis, hearing loss, and short stubby fingers and toes with hypoplasia of the terminal phalanges and hypoplasia of the nails on the thumbs. The features of 13-year-old son were almost identical to those of his father except for hypertrichosis, but in addition he was mentally retarded. Although the 10-day-old son had HGF and defective fingers, the mother and 7-year-old daughter were unaffected. Owing to the overlap of these syndromes, we argue that the identification of the genetic pathways and mechanisms will be the most important factor in classifying these disorders, with the phenotype playing a minor role.