Spirometric changes after pleural decortication in young adults.

Background: The collection of pleural fluid and thickened pleura restrict the movement and expansion of lung. The main treatment strategy is lung decortication for the thickened pleura. The aim of this study was to investigate lung functions before and after pleural decortication in young adults.

The incidence of tuberculosis in the armed forces: a good reflection of the whole population.

Objective: Precise epidemiological data are essential to increase the efficiency of a tuberculosis (TB) control programme. In some countries significant numbers of TB cases go unrecorded or undetected. We aimed to investigate the incidence of TB in the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), to obtain more reliable data on the entire population.

15 Years in surgical management of pulmonary hydatidosis.

Objectives: Echinococcosis remains an endemic surgical problem in countries where sheep and cattle raising is carried out, particularly in many Mediterranean countries. This study aims to evaluate the management of different presentations of pulmonary hydatidosis and their outcome over 15 years.

Design: Retrospective study.

Delayed sternal closure is a life saving decision.

Nineteen hundred and fifty open heart operations were performed between January 1995 and December 2000 at the cardiac surgery department of Chest Disease Hospital in Kuwait. Sternal closure was delayed in 40 patients (2%), because of hemodynamic instability limiting primary closure in 23 patients and uncontrollable bleeding in 17 patients. Four patients died in the immediate postoperative period while the chest was open, due to persistent low cardiac output secondary to myocardial failure.

Analysis of chest injuries sustained during the 1999 Marmara earthquake.

Purpose: The chest injury pattern after a major earthquake is not well understood because data on the type of trauma and surgical intervention are limited. This study was conducted to analyze patients who sustained chest injury during the Marmara earthquake that struck Turkey on August 17, 1999 registering 7.4 on the Richter scale.

Successful implantation of a permanent pacemaker through a persistent left superior vena cava.

We present a case of successful implantation of a permanent pacemaker through an unusual course of a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC). A young male patient presented with symptomatic bradycardia and a heart rate of 35 beats per minute. The pacing lead was introduced through the standard left subclavian vein approach and was found to pass through an unusual course that was suspected to be a PLSVC.

Surgical management of echinococcosis of the heart.

A 23-year-old female with an echinococcal cyst in the atrioventricular groove of the heart is reported. The diagnosis and the location of the cyst were confirmed by echocardiography and cardiac catheter. Successful enucleating of the cyst with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass and the length of follow-up is reported, along with a review of relevant literature.

Surgical management of coarctation of the aorta in infants younger than five months: a study of fifty-one patients.

From January 1992 to December 1996, fifty-one (male 31) patients underwent operative intervention for coarctation of the aorta. The mean age was 26.8+/-20.

Clinical importance of correlations between p53 immunoreactivity and clinicopathological parameters in lung carcinoma.

Many studies have revealed the frequency of p53 abnormalities in lung cancer. However, clinico-pathological studies of p53 abnormalities have yielded conflicting results. We examined the p53 immunoreactivity and studied the correlations of p53 status and clinicopathological parameters in 76 primary lung cancers.

Polyvisceral echinococcosis with involvement of the heart and chest wall: follow-up and review of literature.

Echinococcosis remains an endemic surgical problem in countries where sheep and cattle raising is carried out, particularly in many Mediterranean countries. The life cycle of echinococcosis is usually marked by the filtration of larvae through the liver and lungs which are the organs most commonly affected by a hydatid cyst. Hydatid cysts in other sites are not common.

The differential effect of pentoxifylline on cytokine production by alveolar macrophages and its clinical implications.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on the production of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and GM-CSF by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated alveolar macrophages (AM). AM and peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) from 10 patients were cultured for 24 h in the presence of LPS (10 micrograms ml-1) and PTX at concentrations of 2.0 mM, 1.

Blunt traumatic rupture of the heart: case report and selected review.

Cardiac rupture is a common complication following blunt thoracic trauma. Blunt traumatic rupture of the heart is a frequent cause of death. Cardiac injuries are rarely diagnosed early in the preoperative period.

Pulmonary blastoma.

Pulmonary blastoma is a rare tumor containing both mesenchymal and/or epithelial elements that mimics the embryonal tissues of the developing lungs. We are presenting two cases of pulmonary blastoma for its rarity and reviewed the literature for clinical features, investigative findings, classification, management and prognosis.

50 endobronchial tuberculosis cases based on bronchoscopic diagnosis.

Endobronchial tuberculosis (ETB) is most often a complication of primary pulmonary tuberculosis in children, although it may also occur in adults. Bronchoscopically, mass lesion (polypoid and ulcerous granuloma), submucosal infiltration and fibrostenosis may usually be seen. 50 ETB cases were diagnosed by bronchial biopsy, bronchial fine needle aspiration and washing.

[Double embolization of bronchial artery to control massive hemoptysis].

Bronchial arteriography and double embolization is to block the peripheral bronches of the bronchial artery with micro-gelatin particles and then the trunk of the artery with sponge gelatin. The blood flow from the artery trunk and from the rich arterial bronches which forms B-P bypass is blocked. By this way the embolization is more complete.

Mitral balloon valvuloplasty by Inoue technique without echocardiographic standby.

Mitral balloon valvuloplasty (MBV) by Inoue technique was performed in 85 patients with symptomatic rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS). Twenty-eight patients were male and 57 patients were female. The age range was nine to 59 years (mean 28).

[Arteriography and bronchial artery embolization for massive hemoptysis in 100 cases of tuberculous].

Bronchial arteriography and embolization with sponge gelatin were performed in 100 tuberculous patients of massive hemoptysis. Three direct signs and other six indirect ones were found in arteriographies, Those signs were roentgenographic abnormalities for defining bleeding sites. 100 massive hemoptysis cases were treated with sponge gelatin embolization in bronchial artery.

In vitro adherence of bacteria to sutures in cardiac surgery.

The adherence of bacteria to sutures used in cardiac surgery was studied by in vitro quantitative determination with [3H]-leucine-labeled Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus sanguis. The adherence per unit area for staphylococci was least for monofilament polypropylene (Prolene), 3 times higher (p less than 0.05) for braided polyester (Mersiline) and greatest (10 times, p less than 0.