Asymmetric neonatal crying: microdeletion, infection or birth injury?--a case report.

Asymmetric neonatal crying is a rare minor congenital abnormality caused by unilateral agenesis or hypoplasia of depressor anguli oris muscle and depressor labii inferioris muscle. It is either an isolated clinical finding or one of the clinical findings included in several malformation syndromes linked to a microdeletion within a chromosomal region 22q11.2.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms among college students and the influence of sport activity.

The present study asses the prevalence of depressive symptoms among college students in Split, Croatia, and positive influence of sport activity on decreasing the depression symptoms. Authors screened all 664 college students of the first year of study. All of them were over the 18 years and the mean age was 19.

Intermittent epidural TOP-UPS vs. patient control epidural analgesia during labor.

Pain during labor and delivery is often very unpleasant and stressful for the parturients. Patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) has been found to be both safe and effective, providing optimal pain relief and allowing women to participate in their own analgesia). Compared to other epidural techniques, intermittent epidural top-ups and continuous epidural analgesia (CEA), PCEA uses diluted local anesthetic solutions with less motor block and less unscheduled clinician interventions.

Monosystem multifocal Langerhans cell histiocytosis (multifocal eosinophilic granulomas of the bone) in a 36-year old patient: case report, therapeutic doubts and review of literature.

Our aim is to provide review of available studies on Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) and discuss treatment for polyostotic monosystem form of disease based on our clinical experience. LCH is an enigmatic disease with insufficiently understood etiology, pathophysiology, and variety of clinical presentations ranging from solitary eosinophilic granuloma to severe multisystem disease. It is marked by formation of granuloma in practically any organ.

The use of color duplex ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the dissolution of idiopathic recurrent priapism in patient with congenital penile curvature--a case report.

Priapism, penile erection characterized as prolonged and devoid of sexual stimulation or excitement is a rare condition. It is critical to distinguish between low- and high-flow priapism, because the treatment algorithm differs markedly for these 2 conditions. The diagnosis is made clinically and confirmed with color Doppler ultrasonographic imaging (CDUS).

Clear cell variant of urothelial carcinoma in urinary bladder; a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study--a case report.

The clear cell variant urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder is very rare and unusual neoplasm defined histologically by clear cell pattern and glycogen-rich cytoplasm. Our case of clear cell carcinoma was diagnosed with immunohistochemistry stain. A 72-year-old man, presented with painless macroscopic hematuria in November 2007.

Paraganglioma of the urinary bladder--clinicopathological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopy analysis--a case report.

Tumors that grow within the adrenal medulla are called pheochromocytoma; when located extra-adrenal, they are called paraganglioma. Paraganglioma of the bladder are very rare, with only 180 reported cases. Less than 30 were malignant.

Extracorporeal fertilization in the world and in Croatia.

Aim: To point out the dangers, side effects and risks of medical assisted fertilization, in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer and injection on sperm in ovum for mother and the child.

Results: On the one hand the negative side effects for women of an abrupt rising risk for the development of neoplasm under pharmaceutical therapy are mentioned. Especially under a therapy which has the purpose to stimulate the ovulation of the ovary it lies around 100%.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 in uterosacral ligaments tissue of women with genital prolapse.

Collagen metabolism is altered in the pelvic organ tissues of women with genital prolapse. The aim of this study was to compare collagen metabolism by measuring matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression in uterosacral ligament tissues of postmenopausal women with and without genital prolapse. Uterosacral ligament tissues were obtained at the time of abdominal or vaginal surgery from twenty-four patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and 21 women who underwent gynecologic surgery for benign indications.

Fetal macrosomia in pregnant women with gestational diabetes.

The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of fetal macrosomia in newborns from mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and healthy mothers, as well as determining the influence of fetal growth on pregnancy termination, on complications in pregnancy, during delivery and puerperium and on neonatal complications. In the study were included 351 pregnant women with GDM, as well as control group of 1502 healthy pregnant women. Newborns of mothers with GDM had significantly higher birth weight and length, ponderal index > 2.

Mechanical ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, noninvasive vs. invasive method (randomized prospective study).

Acute respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presents an increasing problem throughout the world. The aim of this study was to compare invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) for patients with COPD. A prospective, randomized trial was performed in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit for the period of 36 months and included 156 patients with COPD.

Preoperative clonidine or levobupivacaine--effect on systemic inflammatory stress response.

With perioperative pain control it is possible to supervise immune system, release of inflammation mediators, and influence on treatment outcome. Use of analgetics before the pain stimulus (preventive analgesia) obstruct development of neuroplastic changes in central nervous system, and reduces pain. Investigation hypothesis was that preoperative epidural clonidine is more efficient in blockade of systemic inflammatory stress response comparing to levobupivacaine.

Sex or surgery--erectile dysfunction after radical treatment of localized prostate cancer.

The maintenance of satisfactory quality of life is major concern in majority of patients who elect treatment for localized prostate cancer. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine sexual function after radical prostatectomy (RP) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Study population consisted of series of 57 patients with early-stage adenocarcinoma of the prostate, treated in our institution in the period from January 2003 till December 2003.

Endomedullary radiofrequency ablation of metastatic lesion of the right femur 5 years after primary breast carcinoma: a case report.

Metastatic tumors of the long bones usually present with severe pain refractory to analgesic therapy. Pathologic fractures of the bone may lead to the significant decrease of patient's quality of life and necessitate further surgical therapy. We present 66 year old female with metastatic left breast carcinoma (T2N0M0) diagnosed 5 years before presentation of the metastatic lesion of the right femur causing severe pain in the middle of the right upper leg.

Radiofrequency ablation as locoregional therapy for unresectable hepatic malignancies: initial results in 24 patients with 5-years follow-up.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one treatment modality for unresectable liver metastases. Patients with hepatic malignancies (n = 24) underwent elective RFA. All tumors were ablated with a curative intent, with a margin of 1 cm, in a single session of RFA.

Risk factor analysis and diagnoses of coronary heart disease in patients with hypercholesterolemia from Croatian Zagorje County.

Our aim is to determine if there exists a difference in risk factors and diagnosis between patients being treated on internal medicine ward for coronary heart disease who have higher levels of cholesterol in their blood and other patients, without proved higher levels of cholesterol, hospitalized for coronary heart disease. We followed patients hospitalized in General Hospital Zabok for coronary heart disease for the period between 2004-2006y. On admission patients were diagnosed with coronary heart disease based on laboratory markers specific for the disease (CK, troponin, LDH,CRP), ECG and history taking.

Analysis of colon cancer features in Croatia.

Qualitative and quantitative parametars were evaluated in 186 colorectal cancer patients. Quality of life was evaluated in subgroup of 84 patients. Correlation between Dukes stage of disease and qualitative (gender, blood type, marital status, region of Croatia from where patients were coming) and quantitative biological parametars (age, body mass index) was analysed.

Quality of the blood sampled from surgical drainage after total hip arthroplasty.

Several methods have been found to be successful in reducing the need for allogeneic transfusion among the patients undergoing total hip replacement. The purpose of this prospective study was to analyse the quality and evaluate the effect of postoperative autotransfusion on the need for allogeneic transfusion following total hip replacement. The prospective study was performed in two groups of patients undergoing total hip replacement.

Effects of clonidine preemptive analgesia on acute postoperative pain in abdominal surgery.

Preemptive analgesia refers to blockade of afferent nerve fibers before a painful stimulus, which prevents or reduces subsequent pain even beyond the effect of the block. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of clonidine used before and at the end of operation on pain control in abdominal surgery. A total of 77 patients admitted for colorectal surgery were randomly classified into three groups: epidural clonidine before operation, epidural clonidine at the end of operation, and control group.

Analysis of preincisional and postincisional treatment with alpha2-adrenoreceptor agonist clonidine regarding analgesic consumption and hemodynamic stability in surgical patients.

Preemptive analgesia aims to prevent the sensitization of central nervous system, hence the development of pathologic pain after tissular injury. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of preincisional clonidine treatment on analgesic consumption and hemodynamic stability compared to clonidine administered at the end of the operation and control group. Ninety-one patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery were randomly assigned to four groups: peroral clonidine before operation, epidural clonidine before operation, epidural clonidine at the end of operation, and epidural saline before operation as a control group.

The analysis of walk cycle in patients with spastic cerebral palsy after surgical management on the lower extremity.

Gait pattern is a frequent problem in cerebral palsy. The aim of the investigation is the evaluation of proximal femur normalization and/or pelvis normalization after surgical correction and simultaneous operations on soft tissues of lower limbs, as well as walk analysis. From 1980.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients from Croatian Zagorje County treated at Department of Medicine, Zabok General Hospital from 2000 to 2006.

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in patients treated for coronary heart disease (CHD) at Department of Medicine, Zabok General Hospital during the 2000-2006 period. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of diseases that occur due to arterial. The risk factors that lead to the development and occurrence of cardiovascular disease are hypertension, cigarette smoking, hyperholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, diabetes mellitus and positive family history.

Ovarian cancer: PCD and brain metastases.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD), the one of the most common paraneoplastic syndromes, refer to clinical disorders associated mostly with lung, ovarian and breast cancer, but not directly caused by the cancer or its metastases. Pathologic finding is an extensive loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Immunohistochemically, the auto-antibodies on the Purkinje cells had been detected.

Epidemiology of pelvic floor disorders between urban and rural female inhabitants.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse in urban and rural women and to identify possible related factors. They were 1749 participants; one thousand four hundred seventeen (81%) urban women and 332 rural residents (19%). The urban and rural women were congruently regarding to age, parity, using oral contraceptives and postmenopausal status.

Virtual bronchoscopy and 3D spiral CT reconstructions in the management of patient with bronchial cancer--our experience with Syngo 3D postprocessing software.

Multislice helical CT generated virtual bronchoscopy (VB) represents one of the most recent developments in three-dimensional computer aided visualisation techniques. VB allows non-invasive and relatively accurate 3D evaluation of tracheobronchal tree. We performed virtual bronchoscopy and in-space 3D volume analysis on CT-data set acquired from sixty-four-year old male with bronchial cancer in order to demonstrate advantages and disadvantages of these methods in diagnostics and preoperative management of metastatic bronchial cancer.