Early impact of hormone replacement therapy on vascular hemodynamics detected via ocular colour Doppler analysis

Objective: To determine the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on ocular blood flow.

Study design: In a prospective controlled study, 40 healthy women who presented to the menopause clinic between December 2000 and December 2001 were randomly assigned into the study. The HRT-receiving group was administered estradiol 17-valerate 2 mg the first 11 days, and estradiol 17-valerate 2 mg plus ciproterone acetate 1 mg the next 10 days of the monthly cycle for 6 months. The control group did not receive any HRT for 6 months. The ocular colour Doppler analysis were performed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. The ocular Doppler analysis was performed in the first half of the cycle in the HRT-receiving group.

Results: Central retinal artery and ophthalmic artery basal Doppler index (peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, resistive index and pulsatility index) values of the two groups at the beginning of the study did not show any statistically significant difference. Both the right and the left central retinal artery pulsatility index (PI) values of the study group, who received HRT at the end of the third and sixth months, showed a statistically significant decline (paired-samples test, P < 0.05), while the decrease in the resistive indexes was not significant.

Conclusion: These results suggest that 6 months of combined hormone replacement therapy with estradiol 17-valerate 2 mg plus ciproterone acetate 1 mg improves ocular vascular Doppler indices which may be a reflection of cerebral vascular status.     

The incremental value of magnetic resonance imaging for breast surgery planning

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on preoperative or intraoperative surgical planning.

Methods

One hundred and sixty females with breast cancer were enrolled in the study. The contribution of MRI compared to MMG and USG, their histopathological concordance, and their impact on surgical treatment were evaluated prospectively.

Results

In 48 (30.0%) of the patients, MRI identified suspicious lesions that were not detected by MMG and USG. The diagnosis by MRI was accurate in 17 (10.6%) of them, while in remaining 31 patients (19.4%) the additional lesions found by MRI and interpreted as malignant were found not to be malignant. The pathological accordance of MRI and MMG compared with USG were 69.3 and 70.0%, respectively, whereas individually, MMG and USG were in accordance with the pathological examination in 52.9 and 67.9% of the cases, respectively.

Conclusions

Assessment of the tumor size, multifocality, multicentricity, and presence of ductal carcinoma in situ by MRI may lead to misinterpretations in the majority of patients. The surgical approach should not be changed based solely on MRI findings. An accurately interpreted MMG combined with USG may be sufficient in most cases.     

介入栓塞术在头颈部肿瘤放射治疗后大出血中的应用

目的:探讨介入栓塞术治疗头颈部肿瘤放射治疗后大出血的临床应用价值。方法 :对 6例头颈部肿瘤放射治疗后大出血患者采用数字减影血管造影技术 (DSA)对颈外动脉分支进行介入栓塞治疗。结果:6例病例在DSA下均显示出血血管 ,栓塞后出血停止 ,临床效果满意。 结论:DSA下介入栓塞止血对头颈部肿瘤放射治疗后大出血是一种较为理想的治疗手段 ,操作简便、安全。     

Falling FSH levels predict poor IVF pregnancy rates in patients whom the gonadotropins are withheld

Aim  

To determine whether monitoring follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in over-responding patients whom the gonadotropins were withheld would predict pregnancy outcome.     

Maternal deaths and their causes in Ankara, Turkey, 1982-2001

This study was carried out to determine the incidence and causes of maternal deaths about a 20-year period at the Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education and Research Hospital (ZTBWHERH), Ankara, Turkey. All maternal deaths from January 1982 to July 2001 were reviewed and classified retrospectively. Using a computer-generated list, 348 patients admitted to the Labour Department of ZTBWHERH during 1982-2001 were selected as controls. Medical records were reviewed for demographic data, history of antenatal care, route of delivery, referral history, and perinatal mortality. Cases and controls were compared, and standard tests were used for calculating odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association of demographic and delivery characteristics. During this period, there were 174 maternal deaths and 430,559 livebirths, giving a maternal mortality ratio of 40.4/100,000 livebirths. The mortality rate declined from 85.1/100,000 in 1982 to 11.6/100,000 in 2001. One hundred thirty (74.7%) deaths were due to direct obstetric causes and 24 (13.7%) were abortion-related, while 20 (11.4%) were due to indirect obstetric causes. The most common cause of direct obstetric deaths was pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, followed by obstetric haemorrhage and embolism. Abortion-related sepsis and haemorrhage, anesthesia-related deaths, obstetric sepsis, acute fatty liver of pregnancy, and ectopic pregnancy accounted for other causes of deaths. Cardiovascular disease was the leading indirect cause of death. Referral, lack of antenatal care, and foetal death at admittance were associated with 8-, 3-, and 6-fold increased risk of maternal mortality respectively (OR 8.89, 95% CI 5.7-13.8; OR 3.74, 95% CI 2.5-5.5; OR 6.38, 95% CI 3.1-13.1). Although maternal mortality ratios have declined at the hospital, especially in the past five years, the rate is still high, and further improvements are needed. The problem of maternal mortality remains multifactorial. Short-term objectives should be focused on improving both medical and administrative practices. Improving the status of women will necessarily remain a long-term objective.     

Environmental exposure to asbestos in eastern Turkey

In this study, the authors investigated the prevalence of asbestos-related disorders among the inhabitants of Güzelyurt, a town in Malatya, located in eastern Turkey. The authors examined river bed, white soil, and stucco samples taken from various locales in Güzelyurt, and they confirmed the presence of tremolite and chrysotile asbestos fibers. Subjects (N = 920; 449 males and 471 females) were examined by photofluoroscopy. Eighty-five patients (9.2%) had asbestos-related radiological findings; risk increased with age. Calcified pleural plaques were seen more frequently in individuals > or = 50 yr of age, compared with younger subjects (p < 0.01). Asbestos-related disorders were prevalent in the inhabitants of Güzelyurt, the population of which is exposed environmentally to asbestos--primarily the result of the stuccoing and whitewashing of houses with soil that contains asbestos.     

肥胖与早期动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病识别的关系

目的 评价人体脂肪测量指标[体质指数(BMI)、腰围(WC)、腰臀比(WHR)和体脂量(BFM)]与早期动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病识别的关系.方法 共分析649名研究对象,平均年龄(55±11)岁,均行人体脂肪测量4个指标的评价.同时进行形态学和血生化两个方面的早期动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病识别的评价.结果 脂肪测量的4个评价指标与收缩压、舒张压、血糖、甘油三酯和载脂蛋白B呈正相关(r＞0),与高密度脂蛋白胆同醇和载脂蛋白A1呈负相关(r＜0),与早期动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病的发生均为正相关(OR＞1).在与颈动脉内膜中层厚度的相关性分析中,BFM的作用最强(OR值和95%CI分别为1.98和1.44～2.57).在与轻度炎症的相关性中,WHR的作用最强(OR和95%CI分别为1.74和1.43～2.10).结论 BFM与早期动脉粥样硬化的关系最为密切.提示BFM可以作为预测成人心血管事件的参考指标.