How can we use positron emission tomography/computed tomography more accurately for characterization of asbestos-related pleural thickening?

Introduction: There is no consensus about the standardized uptake value maximum (SUV) cut-off value to characterize pleural thickening worldwide. Sometimes, this causes unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures. Our first aim is to determine a cut-off value for SUV.

Can we differentiate malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor from benign neurofibroma without invasive sampling.

One of the most important benign tumors in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is plexiform neurofibroma, and there is a risk of developing malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) throughout life approximately 10%. However lesion characterization by anatomical imaging methods are not possible. Because of that most of cases goes to biopsy.

Therapeutical potential of autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cell transplantation in patients with type 2 diabetic critical limb ischemia.

Aim: The aim was to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) in critical limb ischemia (CLI) of type 2 diabetic patients.

Method: Forty diabetic patients with CLI were enrolled and randomized to treatment and control groups. In the treatment group, the patients received subcutaneous injections of recombinant human G-CSF (30 MU/day) for 5 days to mobilize stem cells.

FDG PET/CT appearance of multicentric Castleman's disease mimicking lymphoma.

We report a case of a multicentric form of Castleman's disease with multiple lymph nodes showing intense FDG uptake on whole body scan mimicking non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In this report, the patient had multiple cervical, mediastinal, hilar, retroperitoneal and abnormal lymph nodes in the groin. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography was performed before tissue sampling.

In-vivo gamma scintigraphic evaluation and determination of a gastro-resistant etodolac tablet in humans.

A gastro-resistant (enteric coated) etodolac tablet dosage form, was evaluated by using in vitro and in vivo methods. In vitro drug release studies have shown that enteric coated tablet dosage form protects the drug from being released under conditions mimicking stomach to small intestine transit. The gastro-intestinal transit of radiolabeled 300 mg enteric coated etodolac tablets in six healthy, fed and fasted state volunteers was monitored using external gamma camera.

[Use of double flaps in high-voltage electrical injury of scalp and calvaria: case report].

A 15-year-old boy sustained a high-voltage electrical injury with full-thickness scalp and calvarial bone necrosis in the parieto-occipital region. While necrotic soft tissues were debrided on the fifth day of injury, the devitalized calvaria was preserved. Bilayered coverage of the necrotic bone was achieved by transposition of 'bipedicled pericranial flap' and 'bipedicled scalp flap'.

Carbon monoxide-induced cortical visual loss: treatment with hyperbaric oxygen four years later.

Objective: We present a patient who developed visual loss after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and was treated with hyperbaric oxygen.

Clinical Presentation And Intervention: A 21-year-old woman poisoned with CO (with coma lasting 4 h and carboxyhemoglobin level 46%) developed seizures and cortical blindness 3 days after poisoning. Four years later, her visual acuity was 0.

Hyperammonemic encephalopathy in a patient with primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma.

A 53-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant. There was no change in laboratory investigations other than a slight increase in serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT). Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed multiple hepatic nodular lesions in the liver.

Scintigraphic evaluation of early osteoblastic activity in extraction sockets treated with platelet-rich plasma.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the early effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on osteoblastic activity during the healing process of soft tissue impacted mandibular third molar extraction sockets by means of bone scintigraphy.

Patients And Methods: Twelve patients with bilaterally soft tissue impacted mandibular third molars were included in the study. The impacted right and left mandibular third molars were surgically extracted in the same session.

Diagnostic value of ischaemia-modified albumin for predicting myocardial ischaemia during myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

During acute ischaemia the N-terminal site of albumin is altered, reducing its binding capacity; the modified protein is termed ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA). IMA is a sensitive marker of acute myocardial ischaemia but its diagnostic value in chronic angina pectoris patients is unclear. We investigated changes in blood levels of IMA during myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in patients with chronic angina pectoris in a study including 26 male and 20 female patients, with mean age 60 years.

Lesion detectability and clinical effectiveness of dual-head coincidence gamma camera imaging in comparison with dedicated PET systems in tumour patients.

The lesion detection capability and clinical effectiveness of dual-head coincidence gamma camera imaging (c-PET) were compared with those of dedicated positron emission tomography (d-PET) in 37 cancer patients who underwent whole-body c-PET and d-PET imaging after administration of 370 - 540 MBq (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose. Eighty-nine lesions were detected on c-PET whereas 133 lesions were seen with d-PET imaging. The relative sensitivity of c-PET compared with d-PET was 62% and 73% for lesions < 15 and > or = 15 mm, respectively, and the relative concordance rate was 84% when the patients were restaged.

Effect of Helicobacter pylori infection and eradication therapy on interleukin-6 levels in patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever.

It is being questioned if Helicobacter pylori infection, which causes a chronic inflammatory response, can increase the frequency and severity of attacks in patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) and if the impact of inflammatory response can be diminished by eradication of the infection. To evaluate if there is difference in interleukin (IL)-6 levels of H. pylori-positive and -negative patients both before and during FMF attacks; if there is a change in IL-6 levels following successful eradication treatment; and if MEFV gene mutations have an effect on IL-6 levels.

Is the remarkable contradiction between histology and 14C urea breath test in the detection of Helicobacter pylori due to false-negative histology or false-positive 14C urea breath test?

We assessed the diagnostic value of the 14C urea breath test (UBT) in the detection of Helicobacter pylori compared with histology and the rapid urease test (RUT). The study included 68 patients (22 men and 46 women) with dyspeptic symptoms. H.

Gastric carcinoma and thyroid status.

Gastric carcinoma is reported to be more frequent in geographical areas where diets are either iodine-deficient or iodine-excessive. Reports have also shown an association between thyroid diseases and some of the risk factors for gastric carcinoma. We investigated the frequency of thyroid disorders in 61 patients with gastric carcinoma compared with 55 healthy control subjects.

Low parathormone levels and hypercalcaemia in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: relation to radiological extent of disease and tuberculin skin test.

Aim: We hypothesised that serum calcium (Ca) and parathormone (PTH) levels correlate with radiological extent and that there may also be a relationship between the tuberculin skin test (TST), serum Ca and PTH levels in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

Materials And Methods: Forty-four patients with active PTB and 33 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Serum Ca, PTH, magnesium and phosphate levels were measured in patients and controls and compared.

Does a Leu 512 Arg thyrotropin receptor mutation cause an autonomously functioning papillary carcinoma?

In the last decade, studies were first done to determine the frequency of Gsalpha and later thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) mutations in benign autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTN). Different frequencies ranging from 0% to 38% for GSp mutations and from 20% to 86% for TSHR mutations were found. There were only some limited case reports related to TSHR genetic alterations in malignant AFTN.

The smooth muscle ratio at the renal pelvis in adults: does it predict surgical outcome?

Introduction: Patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction occasionally remain undiagnosed until adulthood. There are no objective criteria to predict the results of pyeloplasty in adult patients. We have evaluated the results of pyeloplasty in adult patients and investigated whether these results are correlated with the histopathology of the surgical specimen.

Seminal plasma prostate-specific antigen level in benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Introduction: We evaluated the role of the seminal plasma PSA level in the prediction of the response to alpha-blocker treatment in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Materials And Methods: 18 male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms were enrolled in the study. After their blood was sampled for PSA, ejaculates of all the subjects were obtained.

Gallbladder and gastric motility in patients with idiopathic slow-transit constipation.

Objective: Idiopathic slow-transit constipation (STC) has been suggested to be a pangastrointestinal motility disorder. We investigated scintigraphically whether motility in the gallbladder and stomach was impaired in slow-transit constipation.

Methods: Twenty-four patients with STC were studied.

Value of regional cerebral blood flow in the evaluation of chronic liver disease and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy.

Aims: Regional changes in cerebral blood flow in patients with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy were investigated in the present study using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Methods: Twenty patients with cirrhosis, 11 patients with chronic hepatitis, and nine healthy controls were included in the study. Cerebral SPECT were obtained for all patients.

[The effect of ostioplasty and nasoantral window opening on mucociliary activity in the maxillary sinus: an experimental study in the rabbit].

Objectives: We evaluated the effects of ostioplasty and nasoantral window opening techniques employed in endoscopic surgery procedures for maxillary sinuses on mucociliary activity in rabbits.

Study Design: The study included 15 adult male New Zealand white rabbits (mean weight 3.5 kg).

Breast cancer in association with thyroid disorders.

Background: The relationship between breast cancer and thyroid diseases is controversial. Discrepant results have been reported in the literature. The incidences of autoimmune and nonautoimmune thyroid diseases were investigated in patients with breast cancer and age-matched control individuals without breast or thyroid disease.

Intrahepatic splenosis: a case report.

Splenosis is heterotopic autotransplantation and seeding of splenic tissue. In the literature, only a few cases of splenosis involving the liver and the radiologic characteristics of these lesions have been reported. We report a case of intrahepatic splenosis diagnosed by ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and scintigraphic features.

Use of CA15-3, CEA and prolactin for the primary diagnosis of breast cancer and correlation with the prognostic factors at the time of initial diagnosis.

The main goals of the clinical use of tumor markers are to evaluate the adequacy of the treatment, monitor recurrence and follow up response to the treatment applied. For this purpose a baseline level for the commonly used tumor marker must be known at the time of initial diagnosis, before any therapy, in order to compare with the tumor marker levels which will be obtained after the treatment and during the clinical follow-up. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation, if there is any, of the baseline levels of CA15-3, CEA and prolactin (PRL) in patients with breast cancer with the most commonly used prognostic factors, i) the presence of distant metastasis, ii) the presence of axillary lymphatic invasion, iii) the number of invaded axillary lymph nodes, iv) tumor size and v) stage of the disease, for breast cancer.