Are Meteorological Parameters a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Embolism? A Retrospective Analysis of 530 Patients.

Background: The influence of meteorological conditions on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been known for a long time. However, few reports have been published on the influence of meteorological parameters on the occurrence of acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

Aims: In this retrospective study, we compared the meteorological parameters between PE patients with risk factors and idiopathic PE patients.

The prognostic value of D-dimer in lung cancer.

Background And Aim: Activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis is frequently encountered among cancer patients. Such tumors are supposed to be associated with higher risk of invasion, metastases and eventually worse outcome. The aim of this study is to explore the prognostic value of blood coagulation tests for lung cancer patients.

A case of Churg-Strauss syndrome treated with montelukast.

Objective: To report a case of Churg-Strauss syndrome who had asthma and allergic rhinitis treated with montelukast.

Clinical Presentation And Intervention: A nonsmoking 59-year-old woman presented with fever, hemoptysis and dyspnea. Past medical history included allergic rhinitis and asthma which were diagnosed 18 years ago.

Evaluation of clinical data and antibody response following influenza vaccination in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The present study investigated the antibody response against influenza vaccine and also the efficacy of vaccination on clinical findings in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) following influenza vaccination. A total of 82 cases with COPD (44 cases as vaccinated and 38 cases as unvaccinated) were evaluated clinically and 21 healthy volunteers were also included in the study as a control group. Influenza (A and B) Ig M and Ig G parameters were analyzed quantitatively in blood samples of the vaccinated group and healthy volunteers by ELISA method once before vaccination and one month and one year after vaccination.

Nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of the lung: the role of positron emission tomography in diagnosis.

Pulmonary nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH) is defined as reactive lymphoid proliferation forming solitary or multiple nodules or localized infiltrates localized in the lungs. Radiological presentations are generally solitary or multiple nodules, but air bronchograms and ground glass attenuation may be present. Patients mostly asymptomatic and the lesions were detected coincidentally on routine chest X-rays.

The role of accompanying sinonasal abnormalities in the outcome of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy.

Background: Acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction may occur simultaneously and possibly as a consequence of sinonasal disease, because the nasolacrimal system is anatomically related to important nasal and sinus structures.

Methods: Thirty-seven patients with nasolacrimal canal obstruction (42 eyes) were evaluated with paranasal sinus computerized tomography (CT) to determine the presence of sinonasal abnormalities if any. All of the patients underwent endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (end-DCR) and accompanying sinonasal pathology was treated also in the same session.

[The resistance rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains to antituberculosis drugs: evaluation of two years' data in Aegean region, Turkey].

The aim of this study was to determine the primary, secondary and total resistance rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in the Aegean Region, Turkey, between November 1st 1999 and November 30th 2001. A total of 490 M. tuberculosis strains isolated from patients admitted to 27 different tuberculosis dispensaries, were evaluated.

The effect of augmentation therapy on bronchial inflammation in alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency.

alpha1-Antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency predisposes to bronchitis and emphysema associated with neutrophilic airway inflammation. The efficacy of augmentation therapy has not been proven clinically or by demonstrating an effect on airway inflammation. We treated 12 patients with four infusions of Prolastin (60 mg/kg) at weekly intervals and monitored both the serum and secretion concentrations of AAT as well as markers of neutrophilic inflammation, including myeloperoxidase, elastase, and the neutrophil chemoattractants interleukin-8 and leukotriene B(4).