DEPRESSION AND FATIGUE ARE DUE TO OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.

To our knowledge, there is no study investigating whether fatigue and depression as the most commonly reported symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients have arisen from primary mechanisms of MS or from secondary associated conditions such as OSA in MS patients. The aim of our survey study was to determine whether depression and fatigue in MS patients were associated with clinical features of OSA or with MS. We conducted a self-administered survey using four validated questionnaires (STOP-BANG, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale and The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised) in 28 consecutive outpatients with proven MS.

Technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy can guide clinical management in congenital hydronephrosis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate damage of the kidney with technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid (Tc-DMSA) scintigraphy in children with congenital hydronephrosis (CH) and the influence of other postnatal associated diagnoses on abnormal Tc-DMSA findings.

Subjects And Methods: Tc-DMSA scintigraphy in 54 children (17 girls and 37 boys), aged from 2 months to 5 years (median 11 months) with 66 congenital hydronephrotic renal units (RU) (42 unilateral hydronephrosis-29 boys and 13 girls; 12 bilateral hydronephrosis-8 boys and 4 girls) was performed. Male/female ratio was 2,2:1, unilateral/bilateral hydronephrosis ratio was 4:1.

Long-term outcome of a modified balloon dilatation in the treatment of patients with achalasia.

Background/aim: Balloon dilatation is a standard approach to the initial achalasia treatment. Modified dilatation is also applied to rise efficacy and to lower complications.

Methods: A total of 57 patients were analysed within a median follow-up of 8.

Clinical value of immunoscintigraphy in the rectal carcinomas: immunoscintigraphy of rectal carcinomas.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical reliability of the immunoscintigraphy with radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies for the detection of metastases and recurrences of rectal carcinomas.

Methodology: A total of 65 patients underwent immunoscintigraphy with radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies. Indication for that examination was suspicious rectal cancer or suspicious rectal cancer recurrence and/or metastases.

Scintigraphic detection of colon carcinomas with iodinated monoclonal antibodies.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical reliability of the immunoscintigraphy with iodinated monoclonal antibodies for the detection of metastases and recurrences of colon carcinomas.

Methods: A total of 45 patients with colon carcinoma was investigated with gamma camera, after intravenous application of iodinated monoclonal antibodies.

Results: The sensitivity of the method was 90%, specificity 86%, positive predictive value 93%, negative predictive value 80% and accuracy 87%.

Correlation of subtraction parathyroid scintigraphy with weight, pathohistologic finding and oxyphil cell content of parathyroid glands in parathyroid hyperplasia.

Background/aim: Parathyroid hyperplasia (PHP) is defined as an absolute increase in the mass of parenchymal cells of the parathyroid gland. PHP is classified as primary, secondary and tertiary. The enlargement of parathyroid glands (PG) is usually asymmetric, resulting in a "dominant" gland.

Validity of dual tracer 99mTc-tetrofosmin and 99mTc-pertechnetate subtraction parathyroid scintigraphy in patients with primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Background/aim: Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is an endocrine disease with the third highest incidence of all endocrine disorders after diabetes mellitus and hyperthyroidism. pHPT is typically caused by a solitary parathyroid adenoma, less frequently by multiple parathyroid gland disease (MGD) and rarely by parathyroid carcinoma. Secondary hyperparatyroidism (sHPT) is a common complication in patients with chronic renal failure.

An anatomical study of the transversus abdominis plane block: location of the lumbar triangle of Petit and adjacent nerves.

Background: The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a new technique for providing analgesia to the anterior abdominal wall. Most previous studies have used the lumbar triangle of Petit as a landmark for the block. In this cadaveric study, we determined the exact position and size of the lumbar triangle of Petit and identified the nerves affected by the TAP block.

Estimation of 99mTc-ciprofloxacin accumulation indexes in bone and joint bacterial infections.

Background/aim: 99mTc-ciprofloxacin is a radiopharmaceutical preparation sintetized to improve diagnostic accuracy of bacterial infections in human tissues. It is mostly applied in diagnosis of bone and joint infections. Many papers have confirmed its sensitivity to infection, but newer papers argued its specificity.

Determination of culprit lesion in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention by myocardial perfusion imaging.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to determine and localize culprit lesion by myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in cases of angiographically detected coronary narrowing >or= 75% of at least one coronary artery.

Material And Methods: One hundred and thirty-two (132) patients with angiographically detected significant coronary narrowing (>or= 75% luminal stenosis of at least one major coronary artery) were studied. All the patients submitted MPI (99m)Tc-MIBI, with pharmacologic dipyridamole stress protocol with concomitant low level bicycle exercise 50W (DipyEX).

Epidural analgesia and liver resection: postoperative coagulation disorders and epidural catheter removal.

Background: The aim of this study was to quantify the duration and severity of postoperative coagulopathy in order to establish the optimal time for epidural catheter removal.

Methods: In a 2-year retrospective study, 140 consecutive patients underwent major liver resection.

Results: Epidural catheters were present in 123 patients (87.

[Influence of the background activity region selection on the measurement of glomerular filtration rate using the Gates method].

Background/aim: The most frequent method for the assessment of glomerular filtration rate GFR) in clinical practice is clearance of creatinine, clearance of chromium-51 radiolabelled ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (51Cr-EDTA) and clearance of technetium-99m radiolabelled diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA). The Gates method for glomerular filtration rate assessment is based on distribution of 99mTc-DTPA in the kidney 2-3 minute after its applying. Calculation of GFR is corrected for the background and depth of the kidney and finally expressed as a percentage of the net injected counts.

Severe acute pancreatitis: overall and early versus late mortality in intensive care units.

Objectives: To determine overall mortality and timing of death in patients with severe acute pancreatitis and factors affecting mortality.

Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of 110 patients admitted to a general intensive care unit (ICU) from January 2003 to January 2006.

Results: The overall mortality rate was 53.

[Diagnostic significance of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in identification and localisation of culprit lesions in patients undergoing elective PTCA].

Background/aim: The coronary angiography provides information on the anatomical state of the coronary tree, while myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPI) facilitates the evaluation of the grade of ischaemia that a particular stenosis produces. The purpose of MPI is to detect the coronary stenosis that provokes the ischaemia and is termed the "culprit lesion". The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 1-day DypEX 99mTc-tetrofosmin tomography in the identification and localization of culprit lesion in the patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD).

Successful outcome after a technically challenging liver transplant during pregnancy.

Little is known about the implications of liver transplantation (OLT) during pregnancy. We report the case of a 26-year-old woman with cryptogenic familial biliary cirrhosis that decompensated rapidly. OLT was performed using the donor iliac vein for a retrogastric portal vein conduit to the superior mesenteric vein and the donor iliac artery for an infrarenal aortic conduit.

Diagnostic value of ocular melanoma immunoscintigraphy.

Purpose: To estimate the diagnostic value of ocular immunoscintigraphy (ISG) in the differentiation of melanoma from other ocular tumors or lesions.

Patients And Methods: ISG was performed in 27 patients. Twenty-four patients were suspected of having ocular melanoma and 3 patients had previous eye enucleation for melanoma and were without recurrent disease.

[Incidence and imaging characteristics of skeletal metastases detected by bone scintigraphy in lung cancer patients].

Background/aim: Detection of metastatic bone disease by skeletal scintigraphy is a classical application of nuclear medicine in cancer patients. Detection of bone metastases in patients with lung cancer is necessary for an appropriate treatment modality. The aim of this study was to report the frequency and imaging characteristics of bone metastases detected by bone scintigraphy (BS) using technetium-99m phosphonates in patients with lung cancer.

[Combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia for urgent Hartmann's procedure].

A 46- year old patient without previous history of general anaesthesia was admitted for urgent Hartman's procedure. The suspected tumor of sigmoid colon caused the obstructive ileus with extreme abdominal distension and threatened colon perforation. After induction of anaesthesia and adequate muscle relaxation it appeared that endotrh ileus because of possible regurgitation and aspiration.

Technetium-99m-tetrofosmin in diagnosis of breast cancer and axillary lymph node involvement.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of breast cancer seeking agent Tc-99m-Tetrofosmin in the detection of breast malignancy and axillary lymph node metastases.

Material And Methods: Twenty-eight female patients (mean age 52.4) with 30 breast lesions suspected of malignancy were enrolled in the study.