Performance of children on the Turkish Nonword Repetition Test: Effect of word similarity,word length,and scoring

This study aims to report the preliminary results of the development of the Turkish Nonword Repetition Test and to contribute to the clinical accuracy of the test by comparing the performance of children with specific language impairment with that of language-level matched and age-matched typically developing children on a nonword repetition (NWR) test developed for Turkish. To determine the effect of word similarity and word length, the Turkish Nonword Repetition Test is composed of language-like and language-unlike items. To determine the effect of scoring, the performances of children were scored as correct/incorrect for a whole word, for only the consonants, and for only the vowels. The findings suggest that the test is a reliable tool to differentiate Turkish-speaking children with SLI from typically developing children.     

Nephrotic syndrome associated with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia

Extramedullary hematopoiesis being an important feature of agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (AMM), a chronic myeloproliferative disease of clonal origin, may affect the kidneys, but this condition is usually asymptomatic. Until now, there is only one reported case of nephrotic syndrome associated with AMM. We present a patient with AMM who had nephrotic syndrome and whose renal biopsy revealed membranous glomerulonephritis together with renal extramedullary hematopoiesis.     

Is HBOT treatment effective in recovering zone of stasis? An experimental immunohistochemical study

Studies aimed at recovering the zone of stasis are one of the major issues of experimental burn studies. Hypoxia and oedema at that zone may cause irreversible changes. Due to anti-oedematous and antihypoxic effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT), it may be beneficial in recovering the zone of stasis. We performed an experimental study using 20 Sprague–Dawley rats, each weighing 350–450 g. The rats were first divided into two groups as 24 h and 5 days. Subsequently, control and treatment groups (five rats in each group) were formed. For burn wounds, we used the burn comb model, which was described by Regas and Ehrlich. In the treatment group, 2.5 ATA HBOT was applied for 90 min twice daily. A 0.8-cm punch biopsy was performed and samples for histological examination were taken from the centre of burn area. The rats were sacrificed by administering ‘3 mci technetium-99m methoxy butyl nitrite’ (⁹⁹Tc^m MIBI) through the femoral vein. Biopsy materials were evaluated by histological and immunohistochemical methods. Dorsal skin fragment, excised to 1 cm margin, was imaged by scintigraphic measurements with a gamma camera. Wet and dry weight measurements of excised skin fragments were taken. As a result, HBOT showed a positive effect at the cellular level in the first 24 h. It increased recovery potential by augmenting neovascularisation and decreasing oedema in the 5-day group.     

Heme oxygenase-1 deficiency as an extremely rare cause of AA-type renal amyloidosis: Expanding the clinical features and review of the literature

Clinical Rheumatology - Heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX-1) is an enzyme that regulates heme degradation. Antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and cytoprotective effects of HMOX-1 were also described. It is...     

Tensile strength of ligaments after thermal shrinkage depending on time and immobilization: in vivo study in the rabbit

The effects of immobilization on healing collagenous tissue treated with thermal shrinkage are investigated in an in vivo rabbit model. Thermal shrinkage was performed on 45 of 50 medial collateral ligaments in 25 mature New Zealand rabbit knees. In half of the knees, the joints were immobilized. Animals were killed at 0, 3, 6, and 9 weeks postoperatively. Failure loads of ligaments were determined, and morphologic changes were evaluated by electron microscopy. The failure load of shrunken ligaments was significantly lower than that of the intact ligaments on the day of operation (P<.05). Shrunken ligaments reached their highest failure loads in the third week within the first 9 weeks. The immobilized ligaments remained weaker than the mobile group, but this difference was statistically significant only in the ninth week (P<.05). Immobilization seems to have negative effects on the healing ligament. Ideal timing for remobilization is still controversial, and abandoning immobilization protocols for longer than 3 weeks should be considered.     

Analysis of cystic hygroma diagnosed in the prenatal period: 5-years’ experience at a tertiary hospital in Southeastern Turkey

Purpose: Our aim was to evaluate the association of cystic hygroma (CH) with fetal malformations and also to investigate the outcome of fetuses with CH diagnosed in the prenatal period.

Methods: We divided the CH patients into two main groups as isolated CH or CH associated with the congenital structural abnormality (CSA) by measuring the thickness of CH and showing other fetal abnormalities. Pregnancy outcomes were recorded as spontaneous abortion, elective termination, intrauterine death, live birth, postnatal death, and lost to follow-up.

Results: There were 74 cases of fetal CH including 19 in CSA-CH group and 55 in isolated-CH group diagnosed between 11 and 21 weeks’ gestation. Karyotype analysis of these 28 patients revealed 18 (64.2%) normal karyotypes. Pregnancy outcomes included 54 elective terminations, five postnatal deaths, one spontaneous abortion, six live births, four intrauterine deaths, and four patients were lost to follow-up.

Conclusion: In the presence of any CSA concurrent with CH, prognosis may be considered as poor and any additional help of fetal karyotyping is questionable. But fetal karyotyping may be advocated in counseling patients with isolated CH, in which a better prognosis and resolvement of CH may be expected in case of a normal karyotype.