Ischemic stroke risk factors during Greek economic crisis.

Background: The impact of Greece's economic crisis on healthcare is of great concern. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of economic crisis on the prevention of cerebral ischemic events.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) admitted to a tertiary neurological department in northwestern Greece during the period 2008-2014.

Chest imaging and lung function impairment after long-term occupational exposure to low concentrations of chrysotile.

The aim of the present study was the investigation of radiographic findings in relation to lung function after occupational exposure to permissible levels of relatively pure chrysotile (0.5-3% amphiboles). We studied 266 out of the total 317 employees who have worked in an asbestos cement factory during the period 1968-2004 with chest x-ray, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and lung function tests.

Association of TNF-857C>T, TNFRSF1A36A>G, and TNFRSF1B676T>G Polymorphisms with Ischemic Stroke in a Greek Population.

Background. The role of genetic factors in the predisposition to develop ischemic stroke has been assessed by previous studies. The main goal of the current study was to determine any possible role of TNF-857C>T,TNFRSF1A36A>G, and TNFRSF1B676T>G polymorphisms in risk for stroke.

Sildenafil combined with continuous positive airway pressure for treatment of erectile dysfunction in men with obstructive sleep apnea.

Objectives: To assess efficacy and safety of the combination of sildenafil and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and satisfaction with treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) in men with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Patients And Methods: Forty men suffering from OSA and concurrent ED were treated with CPAP after a thorough investigation. After a 4-week run-in period, the patients were randomly allocated to treatment for 6 weeks; 20 men to the combination group, receiving additionally 100 mg sildenafil on demand for intercourse, and 20 men to CPAP alone.

The relationship between the perineal length measurements and the urodynamic stress incontinence.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the length of perineal body, the anal position index, the total fourchette-coccyx distance and the anal-coccyx length and female urodynamic stress urinary incontinence (USUI).

Patients And Methods: The study included 57 women with USUI (group A) and 45 women without USUI as control (group B). All patients underwent a urodynamic evaluation and measurement of the length of perineal body (PB) and the distance between the fourchette and the inferior margin of coccyx (FC).

Vardenafil (Levitra) for erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trial reports.

Trials of the efficacy and safety of vardenafil in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (ED) were meta-analysed. All available databases were searched (January 1, 2001-November 30, 2003). Trials were eligible if they included men with ED, compared vardenafil with placebo, were randomized, were at least of 12 weeks duration, and assessed clinically relevant outcomes.

Efficacy of apomorphine and sildenafil in men with nonarteriogenic erectile dysfunction. A comparative crossover study.

To compare the efficacy of apomorphine and sildenafil in men with nonarteriogenic erectile dysfunction (ED), 40 men were studied. Post-injection penile peak systolic velocity was greater than 25 cm s(-1). Twenty men started on apomorphine 2 mg and 20 on sildenafil 50 mg, the doses titrated up to 3 and 100 mg, respectively, if necessary.

Erectile dysfunction in men with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a randomized study of the efficacy of sildenafil and continuous positive airway pressure.

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of sildenafil and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). In all, 30 men were randomly treated for 12 weeks either with sildenafil 100 mg before intercourse (15 men) or CPAP during night time sleep (15 men). Under sildenafil, 97/180 (53.

A comparative, crossover study of the efficacy and safety of sildenafil and apomorphine in men with evidence of arteriogenic erectile dysfunction.

The aim of the study was to establish and compare the efficacy and safety of sildenafil and apomorphine in men with arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (ED). In all, 43 men with ED and postinjection max penile systolic velocity <25 cm/s in repeated Doppler ultrasonography were included. Of these, 24 men started on apomorphine 2 mg and 19 on sildenafil 50 mg, the doses titrated up to 3 and 100 mg according to effectiveness and tolerability.

Long-term results of transvaginal colposuspension for the treatment of genuine stress incontinence combined with vaginal hysterectomy.

We assessed the long-term efficacy of a modified transvaginal needle bladder neck suspension, combined with vaginal hysterectomy, for the treatment of female stress incontinence. Thirty-two women who underwent this procedure were followed up clinically and urodynamically 1 and 5 years postoperatively. A total of 27 women (84.

Switching from long-term treatment with self-injections to oral sildenafil in diabetic patients with severe erectile dysfunction.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of oral sildenafil in diabetic men with severe erectile dysfunction (ED), who are successfully treated with intracavernous injections of vasoactive drugs.

Methods: 81 impotent diabetic men (29 with type 1 and 52 with type 2) were treated for 1-7 years with self-injections. 13 men were treated with 10 microg and 15 with 20 microg of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), and 53 with a mixture of PGE1 20 microg and papaverine 7.

Effects of finasteride and cyproterone acetate on hematuria associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective, randomized, controlled study.

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of two differently acting antiandrogens, finasteride (FIN) and cyproterone acetate (CPA), on the natural history of hematuria associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a prospective, randomized, controlled study.

Methods: Forty-two patients with hematuria episodes due to BPH were randomly allocated to three subgroups of 14 patients each and treated daily with either 5 mg FIN or 100 mg CPA or were placed in a watchful waiting arm. Patients were evaluated at 3-month intervals, and 40 patients had at least 1 year of follow-up.

Effect of subinguinal varicocelectomy on sperm parameters and pregnancy rate: a two-group study.

Objective: To evaluate the changes in semen parameters and pregnancy rates after varicocelectomy.

Methods: We evaluated the results of surgery in 146 men with primary infertility and palpable left varicoceles, compared with 62 men who refused surgery and were treated with tamoxiphene. Patients were selected with strict criteria in order to exclude any other infertility factor in the couple.

The effect of endoscopic injection therapy on the clinical outcome of patients with benign peptic ulcer bleeding.

Background: Our aim was to investigate the effect of endoscopic injection therapy on the clinical outcome of patients with benign peptic ulcer bleeding.

Methods: In this study 1203 patients admitted with peptic ulcer bleeding over a 5-year period (January 1987 to April 1991) before endoscopic therapy and 1028 patients admitted with peptic ulcer bleeding after introduction of endoscopic therapy (May 1991 to March 1996) were assessed. Endoscopic therapy was performed in all patients with active bleeding or non-bleeding visible vessels during emergency endoscopy with injection of adrenaline, 1:10,000 in 0.

Using the hypertext software to develop computer-assisted instruction in oncology for medical students.

A new development in computer-assisted medical education has been the introduction of hypertext authoring systems. Authoring systems are computer programs that can allow an instructor to prepare computer-based medical educational materials without the need to know programming languages. Hypertext is a database management system that lets the user connect screens of information using associative links.

Prognostic factors for the operative correction of stress urinary incontinence.

Investigating the reliability of using some clinical and laboratory parameters as long-term prognostic factors in properly selected patients for stress urinary surgery could help in the prediction of the long-term result in each case. Toward this goal 51 women were examined prospectively, after they were assessed by clinical and laboratory exams with particular emphasis on urodynamic studies. Out of this group, 41 patients had genuine stress incontinence, and 10 had mixed stress incontinence.

Stamey endoscopic vesical neck suspension in female urinary stress incontinence: results and changes in various urodynamic parameters.

A total of 32 female patients with urinary stress incontinence who underwent a Stamey endoscopic bladder neck suspension were clinically and urodynamically studied pre- and postoperatively. Complete cure was obtained in 78% of the patients and improvement in 6%, the overall success rate being 84% for a mean follow-up of 11.1 months (range 6-19).

Evaluation of urodynamic parameters following Burch colposuspension.

Burch colposuspension is a very popular operation for the correction of genuine stress incontinence, due to its very good long-term results. The effect of the operation on the urodynamic parameters at the level of the bladder neck evaluated in this study, and correlated with clinical outcome. A total of 29 female patients with urinary stress incontinence who underwent a Burch colposuspension were clinically and urodynamically studied pre- and postoperatively.

Prostate-specific antigen test: operating characteristics and assessment criteria in the diagnosis of prostatic cancer.

The sensitivity and specificity of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in prostatic carcinoma is of considerable interest. In this study, we have assessed PSA and also correlations between positive and negative predictive values of PSA and the prevalence of prostatic cancer. Firstly, cutoff point must be selected as a positivity criterion for prostatic cancer, according to the purpose of the test.

Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin administration in the prophylaxis of superficial bladder cancer.

A total of 68 patients received prophylactic/adjuvant intravesical Pasteur strain bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillations following transurethral resection for superficial bladder carcinoma. An induction phase consisting of 6 weekly instillations was followed by a maintenance phase consisting of 1 instillation given every 3 months. A second 6-week course of BCG was administered to initial failure followed again by a quarterly maintenance therapy.

Etiology of acute scrotum in 100 boys with regard to age distribution.

A review of 100 boys less than 15 years old who were hospitalized for an acute scrotum revealed that the most common causes of the disorder were testicular torsion, including torsion of the spermatic cord (42 per cent) and torsion of the appendages (32 per cent). The remaining 26 per cent of the cases were owing to idiopathic scrotal edema (8 per cent), epididymitis and orchitis (6 per cent each), and incarcerated hernia and acute hematocele (3 per cent each). The age distribution of these children was biphasic, with the highest frequency in newborns (with exclusively extravaginal torsion) and in boys 13 years old, whereas in boys with appendiceal torsion the single peak frequency was at age 10 years.