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,...     

Efficacy and Feasibility of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation in the Treatment of Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background

Refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) includes AML includes failure of disease to respond to standard induction chemotherapy, relapse within 6 months after first CR, and 2 or more relapses. The outcome of these patients is usually very poor; only a small proportion can be rescued by allogenic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of allo-HSCT in patients with refractory AML.

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.     

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.     

Erectile dysfunction due to venous incompetence treated by dorsal vein ligation

The authors describe 14 cases of erectile dysfunction. The sites of leakage were detected by duplex or colour flow Doppler sonography. Treatment by dorsal vein ligation resulted in fairly good early responses, however, at 4-month follow-up the great majority of patients returned to the original functional state.     

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.     

Diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy and deafness (DIDMOAD syndrome). A clinical study in two Sudanese families

Four Sudanese children with DIDMOAD syndrome (diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy and deafness) are reported. They were two boys (aged 15 and 16 years) in one family and a boy and a girl (aged 16 and 6 years, respectively) in another family. Diabetes mellitus was first to appear (at 3-8 years) followed by deafness and visual failure; and the disease ended fatally in one patient (aged 20 years). In the other three, diabetes insipidus was confirmed using water deprivation test for 8 hours. The maximum urine osmolality ranged between 131-523 mOsm/kg, whereas the corresponding plasma osmolality ranged between 315-332 mOsm/kg. Slight further improvement in urine concentration was observed in 2 of the patients following the use of desmopressin (DDAVP, 20 micrograms intranasally). Intravenous pyelography, voiding cystourethrography and ultrasound revealed severe bilateral hydronephrosis, dilated ureters and distended bladder without vesicoureteral reflux in the three patients. With the high rate of consanguinity prevalent in North Africa and the Middle East, we recommend examining children who present with diabetes mellitus in this region for features of DIDMOAD syndrome.     

Chlamydial etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infections in children in the Sudan

The role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in 110 Sudanese children with signs of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) was investigated. Four (3.6%) had evidence of C. pneumoniae infection, of whom 3 were culture-positive, while 1 had an antibody response suggesting a recent infection. IgG antibodies at a titer of ≥1:32 to C. pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia trachomatis were detected in 27 (24.5%), 27 (24.5%) and 7 (6.4%) of the 110 ALRI cases, respectively. C. pneumoniae, C. trachomatis or C. psittaci were not detected in nasopharyngeal secretions from any of 110 patients when fluorescence-labeled specific monoclonal antibodies were used. In a seroepidemiological survey, 318 healthy Sudanese persons aged between 1 month and 67 years were studied for C. pneumoniae antibodies.