Comparison of the Exposure Obtained by Endoscope and Microscope in the Extended Trans-Sphenoidal Approach

Objective: Trans-sphenoidal surgery is often combined with other approaches for the treatment of middle cranial base tumors. By combining a maxillotomy with trans-sphenoidal approach, significantly wider exposure to these regions is gained. However, endoscope-assisted techniques have also been used for sellar and parasellar and upper clival regions. Methods: An extended trans-sphenoidal approach was performed on 10 cadaver heads using the operating microscope and was repeated with a 0-degree endoscope. The mean horizontal and vertical distances were measured and pictured for each technique, and both distances were compared using a parametric paired Student's t-test. Results: The mean horizontal distances in the 10 specimens were 19.5 ± 1.8 mm by microscope and 27.5 ± 2.2 mm by endoscope, and the mean vertical distances were 25.8 ± 1.9 mm by the microscope and 34.5 ± 3.5 mm by the endoscope. Conclusion: The aim of this study was to quantify the amount of exposure obtained with an extended trans-sphenoidal approach and to compare both endoscopic and microscopic techniques. Using the endoscope in conjunction with the operating microscope may provide additional exposure and better access in skull base surgery.     

Comparison of indium-111 octreotide and thallium-201 scintigraphy in patients mammographically suspected of having breast cancer: Preliminary results

Indium-111 octreotide and thallium-201 scintigraphic studies were compared in 21 patients (16 with palpable and five with non-palpable lesions) suspected of having breast malignancies on the basis of mammography. Early (15 min) and late (3 h)²⁰¹Tl (111 MBq) and 4-h and 24-h¹¹¹In-octreotide (111–148 MBq) static planar anterior images (matrix 256×256) were obtained on separate days. Images were evaluated both visually and quantitatively. Biopsy was performed following the imaging studies. Histopathology revealed 17 breast carcinomas (15 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma, one mucinous adenocarcinoma and one intraductal carcinoma) and four benign breast lesions (two fibroadenomas, one abscess and one case of fat necrosis). The means histopathologcial tumour size (mean largest diameter) was 3.38±1.9 cm.¹¹¹In-octreotide detected 16 of the 17 breast cancers (94%) while²⁰¹Tl detected 13 of them (76%). Both¹¹¹In-octreotide and²⁰¹Tl missed one nonpalpable carcinoma showing only an isolated cluster of microcalcifications on mammography. The smallest tumour size detected by both agents 1.5×1.5 cm. Of the four benign lesions, only the breast abscess revealed both²⁰¹Tl and¹¹¹In-octreotide uptake.¹¹¹In-octreotide scan also showed tracer uptake in five of the six patients with histologically proven axillary metastases, while four of these six patients showed²⁰¹Tl uptake. The tumour/background (T/B) ratios of late¹¹¹In-octreotide and²⁰¹Tl images were 1.71±0.38 and 1.46±0.30 respectively (P=0.039). In this preliminary study,¹¹¹In-octreotide yielded more favourable results than²⁰¹Tl in the detection of breast carcinomas. However, the diagnostic efficacy of¹¹¹In-octreotide imaging needs to be investigated in larger patient series.     

Histological comparison of implanted cadaveric and porcine dermal matrix grafts.

OBJECTIVES: Histological comparison of human-based (AlloDerm) and porcine-based (ENDURAGen) dermal matrices regarding tissue incorporation and neovascularization as potential soft tissue augmentation materials. STUDY DESIGN: In vivo, rat model. METHODS: Subcutaneous implantation of 1-mm thick, 1 cm x 1 cm pieces of AlloDerm, ENDURAGen, and meshed ENDURAGen was performed in 24 Sprague Dawley rats. Implant materials were harvested at 4 (n = 12) and 8 weeks (n = 12). Histological quantification of soft tissue ingrowth and microvascular density was performed following hematoxylin-eosin staining and CD34 immunohistochemistry, respectively. RESULTS: AlloDerm showed significantly greater soft tissue ingrowth and microvascular density compared with both ENDURAGen and meshed ENDURAGen at 4 and 8 weeks (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although these results may differ in human host tissues, AlloDerm seems to be a more suitable dermal matrix implant than ENDURAGen for cases in which tissue incorporation and neovascularization are sought for the optimal outcome based on this animal model.     

Is there any relationship between human leucocyte antigen class II and chronic urticaria? (chronic urticaria and HLA class II)

The Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing of large groups of patients with various autoimmune diseases has demonstrated that some HLA alleles occur at higher frequencies in specific diseases than in the general population. Chronic urticaria has been shown to have an autoimmune basis by a previous study which found an association between chronic urticaria and specific HLA groups. We investigated the HLA subtypes of Turkish chronic urticaria patients. For this purpose 42 Turkish patients with chronic urticaria and 115 healthy controls were typed for HLA-DR and DQ by PCR-SSP (Polymerase Chain Reaction Sequence Specific Primers) low resolution DNA technique. We found an increased frequency of DR4 (42.9%, p=0.01) in chronic urticaria patients in comparison with that in healthy controls. This study supports the hypothesis that HLA alleles may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria and that they appear to be directly involved in the initiation of the immune response.     

Sequence analysis of rpoB mutations in rifampin-resistant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Turkey

Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a serious problem throughout the world. Resistance to Rifampicin (RIF) is mainly caused by the mutations in the rpoB gene coding the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase. In this study, we aimed to detect the distribution of rpoB gene mutations in 80 RIF-resistant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates from Turkey. The rpoB gene was amplified by PCR and mutations leading to RIF resistance were determined by automated sequence analysis. A total of 72 of the 80 isolates (90%) were found to carry mutations in the amplified region, whereas eight isolates (10%) carried no mutations. Overall, 24 different missense mutations affecting 14 codons, and two deletion mutants were identified. Nine new mutations, six in the hot-spot region and three outside this region, were found. The codon numbers of the most frequently encountered mutations were 531 (51.4%), 526 (18.1%), 516 (13.9%), and 513 (12.5%). As a result, 90% of the RIF-resistant MTB isolates from the Turkish patients were found to carry a mutation in the rpoB gene, Ser531Leu being the most frequent one. Although molecular methods identify mutations leading to RIF resistance very quickly, results of the antimycobacterial susceptibility tests must be taken into consideration for the patients carrying no mutations in this region.     

Peritransplant use of ultraviolet-B irradiation (UV-B) therapy is detrimental to allogeneic stem cell transplantation outcome.

Whole-body UV-B phototherapy has been used for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of the skin and has systemic immunosuppressive and tolerogenic effects. We hypothesized that whole-body UV-B therapy would improve donor engraftment and decrease the incidence and severity of GVHD that is associated with decreased intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This study tested the feasibility of using UV-B phototherapy that was initiated before grafting and continued until engraftment to determine its effect on transplantation outcome. Eight patients (median age, 55.5 years; range, 32-65 years) with hematologic malignancies were included. Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells were obtained from matched related (n=5) or matched unrelated (n=3) donors. Conditioning regimen was fludarabine 30 mg/m2 intravenously for 5 days, cyclophosphamide 1 g/m2/d intravenously for 2 days, and equine antithymocyte globulin 30 mg/kg/d for 2 days. GVHD prophylaxis included cyclosporine, methylprednisolone, and escalating doses of narrowband UV-B (311 nm) according to skin tolerance, 3 days a week, from 10 days before to 28 days after transplantation. The conditioning regimen and the UV-B therapy were well tolerated. Two patients received all 14 prescribed UV-B treatments (cumulative doses of 2000 and 3260 mJ/cm2, respectively) and 6 patients received 8 to 13 treatments with a cumulative dose range of 528-3465 mJ/cm2. There was a rapid decrease in epidermal CD1a+ cells by day of transplantation. Myeloid engraftment was rapid. One patient had secondary engraftment failure at 3 months and another had mixed chimerism at day 100. Seven of 8 patients developed severe acute GVHD (grade III, n=5; grade IV, n=2). Six had skin involvement, 5 had gastrointestinal involvement, and 1 had liver involvement. Four patients died (2 from sepsis, 1 from acute GVHD, and 1 from chronic GVHD). Four patients are alive (130-287 days), 3 with extensive chronic GVHD. We conclude that extended peritransplant UV-B therapy at the standard minimally erythemogenic dose is detrimental to the outcome of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. It is unclear how UV-B at this immunsuppressive dose might have altered skin and systemic cytokine and immune cell compositions in the host and increased GVHD- and treatment-related mortalities. Different UV-B dose and schedules should be further explored. However, although other phototherapeutic modalities may be effective against GVHD, extended UV-B therapy should not be used during early phases of decreased conditioning allogeneic transplantation.     

Human Milk Virome Analysis: Changing Pattern Regarding Mode of Delivery,Birth Weight,and Lactational Stage

The human milk (HM) microbiota is a significant source of microbes that colonize the infant gut early in life. The aim of this study was to compare transient and mature HM virome compositions, and also possible changes related to the mode of delivery, gestational age, and weight for gestational age. Overall, in the 81 samples analyzed in this study, reads matching bacteriophages accounted for 79.5% (mainly Podoviridae, Myoviridae, and Siphoviridae) of the reads, far more abundant than those classified as eukaryotic viruses (20.5%, mainly Herpesviridae). In the whole study group of transient human milk, the most abundant families were Podoviridae and Myoviridae. In mature human milk, Podoviridae decreased, and Siphoviridae became the most abundant family. Bacteriophages were predominant in transient HM samples (98.4% in the normal spontaneous vaginal delivery group, 92.1% in the premature group, 89.9% in the C-section group, and 68.3% in the large for gestational age group), except in the small for gestational age group (only ~45% bacteriophages in transient HM samples). Bacteriophages were also predominant in mature HM; however, they were lower in mature HM than in transient HM (71.7% in the normal spontaneous vaginal delivery group, 60.8% in the C-section group, 56% in the premature group, and 80.6% in the large for gestational age group). Bacteriophages still represented 45% of mature HM in the small for gestational age group. In the transient HM of the normal spontaneous vaginal delivery group, the most abundant family was Podoviridae; however, in mature HM, Podoviridae became less prominent than Siphoviridae. Myoviridae was predominant in both transient and mature HM in the premature group (all C-section), and Podoviridae was predominant in transient HM, while Siphoviridae and Herpesviridae were predominant in mature HM. In the small for gestational age group, the most abundant taxa in transient HM were the family Herpesviridae and a species of the genus Roseolovirus. Bacteriophages constituted the major component of the HM virome, and we showed changes regarding the lactation period, preterm birth, delivery mode, and birth weight. Early in life, the HM virome may influence the composition of an infant’s gut microbiome, which could have short- and long-term health implications. Further longitudinal mother–newborn pair studies are required to understand the effects of these variations on the composition of the HM and the infant gut virome.     

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.     

Transorbital endoscopic approaches to the skull base: a systematic literature review and anatomical description

Neurosurgical Review - Transorbital endoscopic approaches are increasing in popularity as they provide corridors to reach various areas of the ventral skull base through the orbit. They can be used...