Factors Associated With 30-Day Readmissions After Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery.

Purpose: Determine the association between clinical and demographic factors and 30-day readmission risk after pituitary surgery.

Methods: Patients undergoing pituitary surgery between January 2018 and December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Cases were extracted from a converged electronic health record that included surgeries performed at the Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest campuses of the same healthcare Enterprise.

A Benign Medullary Thyroid Cancer.

Metastatic dissemination occurs in up to 90% of patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) greater than 4 cm in diameter, and elevated calcitonin levels of more than 500 pg/ml preoperatively have been shown to predict the failure to achieve biochemical remission. Herein, we present a patient with a large tumor and extremely elevated calcitonin level, who was subsequently found to show a "benign" behavior with no evidence of metastasis. The relatively benign behavior of this patient's MTC despite its size and extremely elevated calcitonin levels is thought to be suggestive of certain mutation types in MTC to be more associated with better prognostic outcomes.

Cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum secondary to dental treatment in a young man.

The occurrence of cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum is very rare but can be potentially life-threatening. These complications can happen during or after bronchoscopic or dental procedures, esophageal rupture or perforation, infections involving the head and neck and alveolar rupture in the setting of an inciting event such as asthma. The symptoms can appear promptly after the inciting event, but can also be delayed or do not reach maximal intensity for hours.

Association of osteoprotegerin with peripheral artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Osteoprotegerin plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Elevated osteoprotegerin concentrations have been reported in microvascular complications of diabetes. Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of macrovascular complications, particularly peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of obesity: a critical review.

Context: Obesity and its associated morbidities pose a major health hazard to the public. Despite a multiplex of available diet and exercise programs for losing and maintaining weight, over the past years, interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for obesity treatment has greatly increased.

Evidence Acquisition: We searched PubMed, Google scholar and the Cochrane databases for systemic reviews, review articles, meta-analysis and randomized clinical trials up to December 2013.

ASSOCIATION OF PERIPHERAL 5-HYDROXYINDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID, A SEROTONIN DERIVATIVE, WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME AND LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION.

Objective: The constellation of metabolic abnormalities seen in metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been linked to atherosclerosis and adverse cardiovascular outcomes due to heightened inflammation. Accumulating evidence suggests that peripheral 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA), the derivative end-product of serotonin (5-HT), might be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity, and abnormal lipid and glucose metabolism. We examined the association between serum 5-HIAA concentrations and MetS and also highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP).

Intermittent voiding per urethra as an indicator of cutaneous vesicostomy malfunction.

Purpose: To present a new approach for management of cutaneous vesicostomy (CV) prolapse, with special emphasis on normal appearing vesicostomy may be malfunctioning. To introduce the application of temporary stoma-free drainage as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool.

Materials And Methods: From December 2000 to September 2006, 66 children (61 males and 5 females) with CV were studied.

Multiple hypoplastic duplicated urethral hydrodistension and simple end-to-end anastomosis to penoscrotal hypospadias: a novel technique.

Complete urethral duplication is a rare congenital genitourinary anomaly with various symptoms. Since anatomical place of urethra greatly varies between cases, surgical management of the patients is personalized according to the type of the duplication and requires a careful workup before planning for any intervention. In this case report, a 4-year-old boy with finding of complete proximal hypospadiac urethral duplication is presented with double-stream voiding.

Combination of calcium hydroxyapatite and autologous blood for endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux in children.

Objective: To report the results of endoscopic correction of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) with concomitant injection of pure calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) and autologous blood.

Patients And Methods: Records of patients who underwent endoscopic correction of VUR using concomitant injection of CaHA and autologous blood from 2008 through 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding patients' demographics, preoperative VUR grades, febrile urinary tract infections, complications of procedure, postoperative VUR grades and cure rates were collected.

Use of biodegradable plates and screws for approximation of symphysis pubis in bladder exstrophy: applications and outcomes.

Objectives: To investigate the feasibility of biodegradable plate and screws for the tension-free internal fixation of the symphysis pubis in patients with bladder exstrophy, with a particular emphasis on pelvic bone changes as seen on 3-dimensional computed tomography.

Methods: A total of 11 children with bladder exstrophy underwent surgical repair with biodegradable plate and screw fixation (mean age 4.13 years).