Proton Therapy Mediates Dose Reductions to Brain Structures Associated With Cognition in Children With Medulloblastoma.

Purpose: Emerging evidence suggests proton radiation therapy may offer cognitive sparing advantages over photon radiation therapy, yet dosimetry has not been compared previously. The purpose of this study was to examine dosimetric correlates of cognitive outcomes in children with medulloblastoma treated with proton versus photon radiation therapy.

Methods And Materials: In this retrospective, bi-institutional study, dosimetric and cognitive data from 75 patients (39 photon and 36 proton) were analyzed.

Comparison of the diagnoses, the outpatient clinics they visited, and the number of visits of patients with and without a diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome: Do patients with fibromyalgia syndrome come to the hospital more often?

Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) has a wide spectrum of symptoms that includes all body parts. So FMS is a great imitator. This brings to mind the possibility that fibromyalgia patients visit outpatient clinics in many departments more than non-fibromyalgia patients.

Genetic susceptibility to cognitive decline following craniospinal irradiation for pediatric central nervous system tumors.

Background: Survivors of pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors treated with craniospinal irradiation (CSI) exhibit long-term cognitive difficulties. Goals of this study were to evaluate longitudinal effects of candidate and novel genetic variants on cognitive decline following CSI.

Methods: Intelligence quotient (IQ), working memory (WM), and processing speed (PS) were longitudinally collected from patients treated with CSI (n = 241).

Cognitive Sparing in Proton versus Photon Radiotherapy for Pediatric Brain Tumor Is Associated with White Matter Integrity: An Exploratory Study.

Radiotherapy for pediatric brain tumors is associated with reduced white matter structural integrity and neurocognitive decline. Superior cognitive outcomes have been reported following proton radiotherapy (PRT) compared to photon radiotherapy (XRT), presumably due to improved sparing of normal brain tissue. This exploratory study examined the relationship between white matter change and late cognitive effects in pediatric brain tumor survivors treated with XRT versus PRT.

Do the presence, size, and shape of plantar calcaneal spurs have any significance in terms of pain and treatment outcomes in patients with plantar fasciitis?

Background: : The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the presence, size, or type of calcaneal spurs on pain or the outcomes of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) therapy in patients with plantar fasciitis.

Methods: Seventy-four patients with unilateral plantar fasciitis who had no pain in the contralateral foot, either currently or in the past, were included in the study. The length, base width, type, and presence of plantar calcaneal spurs in both heels of the patients were determined using radiography.

Does osteoporosis cause pain even without a fracture? An observational study.

Introduction/background: Osteoporotic fractures are usually painful. However, data on whether osteoporosis without fracture causes pain are insufficient. This study aims to determine whether osteoporosis without fracture is the cause of pain.

Follow-up of at least 3 years after ganglion impar block for control of chronic coccygodynia.

Introduction: Although it is well known that ganglion impar block (GIB) reduces pain in the short term in patients with chronic coccygodynia, there are insufficient data on long-term treatment outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the long-term outcomes of patients who underwent GIB for chronic coccygodynia and possible factors that might affect these outcomes.

Methods: The pre-treatment, 1st-hour, and 3rd-week numeric rating scale (NRS) scores of patients who underwent GIB 36-119 (min-max) months ago (between November 2011 and October 2018) due to coccygodynia were obtained from the medical records.

Incidence and Disease Course of COVID-19 Infection Among Unvaccinated Patients Who Received Local Corticosteroid Injections.

Objective: There are concerns that local corticosteroid injections may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection because of the immunosuppressive effect of corticosteroids. This study aimed to examine the relationship between local corticosteroid injections and the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Design: The date and type of procedure as well as the dose and type of corticosteroids used in patients who underwent local corticosteroid injections within 1 yr after the first COVID-19 case in the country were examined retrospectively and recorded.

Comparison of the effectiveness of conventional physical therapy and extracorporeal shock wave therapy on pain, disability, functional status, and depression in patients with chronic low back pain.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of conventional physical therapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, hot pack, and therapeutic ultrasound) and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on pain, disability, functional status, and depression in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP).

Patients And Methods: Ninety-one patients with chronic LBP were included in the study and randomized to groups that received ESWT or conventional physiotherapy; of these, 70 completed the study (37 males, 33 females; mean age: 46.4±13.

Is Low-Dose Dextrose Prolotherapy as Effective as High-Dose Dextrose Prolotherapy in the Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis? A Double-Blind, Ultrasound Guided, Randomized Controlled Study.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of prolotherapy (PrT) on pain, functionality, clinical improvement and to compare the 5% low and 15% high dose dextrose PrT in chronic lateral epicondylitis.

Design: A double-blind, parallel groups, randomized controlled study.

Settings: Outpatient Clinic.

Epicardial adipose tissue thickness and growth differentiation factor 15 in axial spondyloarthritis: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To investigate growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) levels and the thickness of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and to evaluate their relationship with functional status, disease activity, disease duration, and the type of medical treatment received by the patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Kırşehir Ahievran University School of Medicine between February and June 2020. Twenty-nine healthy controls and 44 patients with axSpA were included in the study.

Pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma incidence and survival in the United States: An assessment of 5656 cases, 2001-2017.

Background: While rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents, past epidemiology studies of this malignancy used data that covered <30% of the US population. Therefore, we evaluated RMS incidence using data from U.S.

Masseter Muscle Thickness And Elasticity in Bruxism After Exercise Treatment: A Comparison Trial.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Rocabado's 6 × 6 exercises on masseter muscle thickness, muscle elasticity, and pain scores in patients with bruxism.

Methods: A total of 58 participants with bruxism were divided into 2 groups as the exercise group (EG) and control group (CG). A self-care program was applied for the participants in the CG.

Hydroxychloroquine treatment alters retinal layers and choroid without apparent toxicity in optical coherence tomography.

Background To investigate whether single retinal layer, choroidal and peripapillary retinal fiber layer thicknesses were affected in patients under hydroxychloroquine treatment without retinal toxicity Methods Forty-nine patients under hydroxychloroquine treatment (HCQ group) and 39 healthy volunteers, a total of 88 individuals, were included in the study. Patients with HCQ treatment were further divided into two groups as less than 5 years of HCQ use (group 1, 29 patients) and 5 years or more of HCQ use (group 2, 20 patients). All participants underwent full ophthalmologic examination and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging as OCT is a recommended tool for screening toxicity by the American Association of Ophthalmology.

Is Detection of Relapse by Surveillance Imaging Associated With Longer Survival in Patients With Rhabdomyosarcoma?

Background: We investigated whether surveillance imaging had an impact on post-relapse survival in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). We hypothesized that relapse detected by imaging (group IM) would be associated with longer survival compared with relapse detected with a clinical sign or symptom (group SS).

Materials And Methods: We performed an observational multi-institutional study in 127 patients with relapsed RMS comparing overall survival (OS) after relapse using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses.

Patient-reported neurocognitive function in adult survivors of childhood and adolescent osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.

Purpose: Little is known regarding long-term neurocognitive outcomes in osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma (EWS) survivors despite potential risk factors. We evaluated associations among treatment exposures, chronic health conditions, and patient-reported neurocognitive outcomes in adult survivors of childhood osteosarcoma and EWS.

Methods: Five-year survivors of osteosarcoma (N = 604; median age 37.

Is there a familial predisposition to bisphosphonate-induced atypical femoral fractures?

Bisphosphonates are commonly used in the treatment of osteoporosis. Atypical femoral fracture (AFF) is a well-known adverse effect of bisphosphonate use. The importance of genetic factors has been demonstrated in bone quality, bone turnover, and in the response to osteoporosis treatment.

Comparison of hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, and adrenal insufficiency following proton and photon radiotherapy in children with medulloblastoma.

Background: Endocrine deficiencies are common following Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) in children with brain tumors, but empirical data comparing outcomes following proton (PRT) and photon radiation therapy (XRT) are limited.

Methods: This retrospective chart review compared the incidence of hypothyroidism, Growth hormone deficiency (GHD), and Adrenal insufficiency (AI) in patients with medulloblastoma treated with XRT and PRT between 1997 and 2016. All patients received CSI and had routine endocrine screening labs to evaluate for thyroid dysfunction, GHD, and AI.

Scoliosis in Children Treated With Photon Craniospinal Irradiation for Medulloblastoma.

Purpose: Scoliosis is a well-recognized complication after abdominal radiation therapy but not reported frequently after craniospinal irradiation (CSI). We examined the incidence and risk factors for scoliosis after CSI in long-term survivors with medulloblastoma.

Methods And Materials: The records of patients with medulloblastoma seen at one institution from 1996 to 2006 were analyzed for the use of CSI and development of scoliosis as documented on physical examination and spinal imaging.

Handheld dermatoscopy as an easy-to-use capillaroscopic instrument in rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional study.

Background/aim: Nailfold video capillaroscopy is considered as a reliable method for evaluating peripheral microangiopathy in rheumatologic diseases. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the utility of handheld dermatoscopy as an easy-to-use nailfold capillaroscopic instrument in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study included patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy subjects.

A useful marker in the assessment of remission and activation of disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Serum human neutrophil peptides 1-3.

Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease of unknown etiology. Various cellular and molecular immunological factors are involved in the pathophysiology of RA. Recent studies suggest that neutrophils and alpha-defensins released from the neutrophils assume significant roles in the pathogenesis of RA.