Use of a fibrovascular tube in creation of neo-urethra during penile reconstruction.

Introduction: There are several techniques employed in the surgical treatment of total or partial penile reconstruction, hypospadias surgery, and urethral stricture. Urethral reconstruction is performed in different ways applying these techniques.

Objective: We evaluated use of a fibrovascular sheath to create a neo-urethra formed around a silicon tube.

The value of qualitative and quantitative assessment of lesion to cerebral cortex signal ratio on double inversion recovery sequence in the differentiation of demyelinating plaques from non-specific T2 hyperintensities.

Objectives: To assess the usefulness of the visual assessment and to determine diagnostic value of the lesion-to-cerebral cortex signal ratio (LCSR) measurement in the differentiation of demyelinating plaques and non-specific T2 hyperintensities on double inversion recovery (DIR) sequence.

Material And Methods: DIR and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences of 25 clinically diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 25 non-MS patients with non-specific T2-hyperintense lesions were evaluated visually and LCSRs were measured by two observers independently.

Results: On DIR sequence, the calculated mean LCSR ± SD for demyelinating plaques and non-specific T2-hyperintense lesions were 1.

Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor Presenting with Diabetes Insipidus in an Eight-Year-Old Boy: A Case Report.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMT) develop as a non-neoplastic proliferation of myofibroblasts in a myxoid to collagenous stroma admixed with inflammatory cells. The symptoms depend on the specific location of the tumor, which can be anywhere, but is particularly in the respiratory system. Thus, patients with IMT can present with a variety of findings.

Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is associated with cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a member of the lipocalin family best known as a novel and early marker of acute kidney injury (AKI). Recent data suggest that NGQueryAL is not only a marker of AKI, but also an important player in the vascular remodeling, atherosclerotic plaque stability and thrombus formation. We conducted this study to investigate the association of serum NGAL levels with fatal and composite (fatal and non-fatal) cardiovascular events (CVE) in a cohort of patients with stage 1-5 CKD.

Brain herniations into the dural venous sinus or calvarium: MRI findings, possible causes and clinical significance.

Objectives: To determine frequency, imaging features and clinical significance of herniations of brain parenchyma into dural venous sinuses (DVS) and/or calvarium found on MRI.

Methods: A total of 6160 brain MRI examinations containing at least one high-resolution T1- or T2-weighted sequence were retrospectively evaluated to determine the presence of incidental brain herniations into the DVS or calvarium. MRI sequences available for review were evaluated according to their capability to demonstrate these herniations.

MRI diagnosis of dural sinus - Cortical venous thrombosis: Immediate post-contrast 3D GRE T1-weighted imaging versus unenhanced MR venography and conventional MR sequences.

Objective: Primary aim is to compare the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced 3D GRE T1-weighted sequences with unenhanced MR venography and conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in detection of dural venous sinus (DVS) and cortical venous thrombosis; secondary aim is to determine the relationship between DVS thrombosis/site and gender, age, infarction or hemorrhage.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed conventional MR images, unenhanced MR venography and immediate post-contrast 3D GRE T1-weighted MR images in 30 patients (17 male and 13 female, 21-70 years old, mean age 40.1) with clinically suspected DVS thrombosis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis in young adult men.

Introduction: The possible cause of accelerated atherosclerosis in NAFLD may be the relationship with the MetS and its components. Our primary goal was to evaluate the relationship between NAFLD and subclinical atherosclerosis in adult male patients between 20 and 40 years of age. Moreover, we aimed to investigate the changes in this association according to the presence or absence of MetS.

Measures of ventricles and evans' index: from neonate to adolescent.

Ventricle sizes are important for the early diagnosis of hydrocephalus or for follow-up after ventriculostomy. Diameters of ventricles may change, especially in childhood. This study aims to provide normative data about ventricle diameters.

Hepatocellular carcinoma review: current treatment, and evidence-based medicine.

We read with great interest the recent article entitled "Hepatocellular carcinoma review: Current treatment, and evidence-based medicine" by Raza et al, published in World Journal of Gastroenterology. Authors evaluated treatments for early and advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma based on an extensive review of the relevant literature. They reported that radiofrequency ablation is the most effective local ablative therapy.

Measures of pituitary gland and stalk: from neonate to adolescence.

Objective: The aim of this study is to provide normative data about pituitary diameters in a pediatric population. Pituitary imaging is important for the evaluation of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis defect. However, data about normal pituitary gland diameters and stalk are limited, especially in children.

Prevalence of dual left anterior descending artery variations in CT angiography.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the frequency and features of dual left anterior descending artery (LAD) variants using computed tomography (CT) angiography.

Methods: A total of 1337 consecutive coronary CT angiography examinations performed between April 2010 and December 2013 were retrospectively evaluated for the presence of dual LAD. CT examinations were performed with either 64- or 320-row multidetector CT scanners.

Serum sclerostin and adverse outcomes in nondialyzed chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: The chronic kidney disease (CKD)-mineral and bone disorder (MBD) syndrome is an important contributor to the CKD-associated cardiovascular disease and high mortality rates. Sclerostin, a protein synthesized in osteocytes, is a potent downregulator of bone metabolism and a novel candidate for the bone-vascular axis in CKD patients. We tested whether serum sclerostin values are predictive for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events (CVEs) in a CKD population.

Plasma endocan levels associate with inflammation, vascular abnormalities, cardiovascular events, and survival in chronic kidney disease.

Plasma endocan levels are elevated in a large number of diseases, and may reflect endothelial cell dysfunction. There are currently no data on endocan in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, we measured plasma endocan in 251 patients with CKD (stage 1-5) and 60 control individuals.

Endothelial function in patients with familial Mediterranean fever-related amyloidosis and association with cardiovascular events.

Objectives: Secondary amyloidosis is the most important complication of FMF and endothelial function is more severely impaired. Elevated asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) may mediate the excess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk of this group. We aimed to compare endothelial function characteristics, including ADMA, in patients with FMF-related amyloidosis and primary glomerulopathies and to define risk factors for a CVD event.

The relationship between IL-10 levels and cardiovascular events in patients with CKD.

Background And Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with CKD. IL-10 is considered an antiatherosclerotic cytokine. However, previous studies have failed to observe an association between IL-10 and cardiovascular disease in CKD.

Persistent Mullerian duct syndrome with transverse testicular ectopia and seminoma.

Persistent Mullerian duct syndrome (PMDS) is a rare form of the 46 XY disorders of sexual differentiation, characterized by the presence of a uterus and fallopian tubes due to the failure of Mullerian duct regression in genotypically normal males. More than 150 cases have been recorded, most of them in adults. In most cases, the PMDS is discovered during surgery for inguinal hernia or cryptorchidism, or by the presence of transverse testicular ectopia (TTE).

Soluble TWEAK plasma levels increase after renal transplantation and associate with the improvement of endothelial function.

Background: Soluble TWEAK (sTWEAK) and asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) concentrations have been associated with endothelial function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We tested the hypothesis that the improvement in endothelial function observed after renal transplantation is directly linked to the normalization of both sTWEAK and ADMA.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and seventy-five kidney transplant recipients (71% men; 31·6 ± 9·4 years) were studied immediately before and on the 180th day post-transplantation.