Mean platelet volume variability in young patients with non-ST elevation acute myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Platelet activation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet reactivity, was previously associated with an increased risk of acute coronary events.

Objective: To investigate the MPV variability in young patients presenting with NSTEMI, as compared to young patients with cardiovascular risk factors and no overt ischemic cardiac disease, as well as with elderly patients presenting with NSTEMI.

Clinical significance of HPV-DNA testing for precancerous cervical lesions.

Cervical screening by using cytology was proven efficient in reducing the mortality secondary to cervical cancer, but this method has limitations. High risk HPV infection is essential for cervical cancer development so HPV testing is a new tool used for screening patients for cervical neoplasia. HPV testing was proven most useful for women over 30 years old, in cases in which cytology identified ASC-US and after treatment for CIN.

Prognosis elements in surgical treatment of complicated umbilical hernia in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Introduction: The surgical treatment of umbilical hernia in cirrhosis patients raises special management challenges. The attitude upon the repair of these hernias varies from expectancy or elective treatment in early stages of the disease to the surgical treatment only if complications occur.

Material And Method: We have assessed 22 consecutive cases of cirrhosis patients treated for complicated umbilical hernia in the Surgical Department of "Sf.

Umbilical hernia alloplastic dual-mesh treatment in cirrhotic patients.

Rationale: Abdominal wall hernias represent a pathology with an impressive prevalence among the population of patients with cirrhosis complicated by ascites. The aggressive surgical approach of umbilical hernia for patients with cirrhotic background remains a controversial problem, accompanied by anesthetic and surgical risk. Its indication remains fully justified in case of severe symptoms or life threatening complications: strangulation, incarceration, evisceration.

Cervical arthroplasty using ProDisc-C case report.

Cervical disc replacement is an emerging motion-preserving technology in the surgical treatment of the cervical degenerative disc disorders used as an alternative to the classic interbody fusion. We present a case report of a patient diagnosed with C6-7 right disc herniation who underwent anterior discectomy and received a total disc replacement using ProDisc C artificial disc prosthesis.

Parastomal hernia mesh repair, variant of surgical technique without stoma relocation.

Rationale: Due to the improvement of prognosis through adjuvant therapy, the life expectancy of neoplasia patients is continuously increasing, which, in conjunction with the progressive occurrence of parastomal hernias during the disease evolution, explains the growing number of reported parastomal hernias affecting patients with permanent colostomy. Conventional techniques of local repair are inappropriate considering the high recurrence rate, and the decision of stoma relocation depends on the associated pathology, which may counter-indicate general anesthesia, and on previous surgical interventions that are usually followed by a dense peritoneal adhesion syndrome.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to make known a variant of alloplastic technique, without translocation, with a low degree of invasiveness, which can be performed successfully under spinal anesthesia, followed by a reduced period of hospitalization.

Acquired epidermoid cysts of the cauda equina.

Intradural extramedullary epidermoid (EC) cysts are uncommon (0.2-1%). Acquired tumors appear more frequently as a late complication of lumbar punctures (40%).

Vascular endothelial growth factor, lipoporotein-associated phospholipase A2, sP-selectin and antiphospholipid antibodies, biological markers with prognostic value in pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and systemic lupus erithematosus.

Objective: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH) is a progressive disease with a poor prognosis that ultimately leads to right ventricular failure and death. The pathogenesis of severe PH seems to be related to inflammatory responses and coagulation disturbances. Many diseases can develop PH in their course, thus aggravating their outcome.

Aldosterone and cardiovascular pathology: from bench to bedside.

Thirty years ago, aldosterone was an unidimensional hormone considered responsible for salt and water homeostasis. The current role of aldosterone in pathology is very complex. Recognition of mineralocorticoid receptors throughout the body has raised the importance of aldosterone in understanding the pathophysiology of previously unknown cardiovascular effects.

Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase activity in patients with chronic stable angina (preliminary results).

Coronary atherosclerotic disease is related to endothelial inflammation and dysfunction, thrombosis and plaque instability. Different inflammatory markers are studied in stable angina and coronary acute syndromes, in order to stratify better the risk and to prevent the cardiovascular events. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) and platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) represent a complex with proinflammatory actions, possibly related to progression of atherosclerotic lesions.

The significance of human platelet-activating factor-acetylhydrolase in patients with chronic stable angina.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory reactions within coronary atherosclerotic plaques are increasingly thought to be crucial determinants of the clinical course in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Platelet-activating factor-acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is considered to reflect the ongoing inflammatory process in patients with CAD. Our objective was to determine the activity of PAF-AH in patients with stable angina and its correlations to lipoprotein levels and the inflammatory status of the patient.

Lumbosacral tumors with a retroperitoneal development.

Neoplasms are relatively rare in the lumbosacral region. The present study presents two cases with tumors in the lumbosacral region, a chordoma and a tumor with multinucleated giant cells which further showed a presacral development. Some common aspects of the clinical and radiologic symptomatology were evidenced as well as the specific characteristics of each separate tumor in our cases.