Eosinophilic ascites, as a rare presentation of eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

Background: Eosinophilic ascites is the most unusual presentation of eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), caused by edema and eosinophilic inflammation of the small bowel wall's serosal layer.

Case Report: We report the case of a 37-year-old woman, who presented with diffuse abdominal pain, nausea, abdominal distension, moderate ascites and diarrhea of two weeks duration. The rest of physical and clinical examination was unremarkable, and her past medical history was uneventful.

Demographic features of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in kosovo.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory illness characterized by polyarthritis of small and large joints which in the course of time may progress to disability.

Material And Methods: In our prospective study were included 951 patients (females 730, and males 221 respectively) with an average age 51.3 year old, diagnosed with RA in accordance with ACR-EULAR/2010 criteria.

Malnutrition at the time of surgery affects negatively the clinical outcome of critically ill patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Introduction: Malnutrition is a frequent concomitant of surgical illness, especially in gastrointestinal cancer surgery. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition in the GI cancer patients and its relation with clinical outcome. We also examined associations between the energy balance and clinical outcomes in these patients.

Final Height in Children with Idiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency treated with Growth Hormone: Albanian experience.

Objective- To evaluate the efficiency of recombinant growth hormone for increasing adult height in children treated for idiopathic growth hormone deficiency and to evaluate the prognostic factor for height at the end of treatment. Design- Observational follow up study. Setting- Population based registry.

Epidemiology of goiter and benign tumors of the thyroid gland in Albania.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the demographic characteristics and disease patterns among patients with thyroid nodular abnormalities (goiter) and benign tumors of the thyroid gland in Albania, a transitional country in South Eastern Europe.

Methods: Our study included all patients diagnosed with goiter and/or benign tumors of the thyroid gland who were hospitalized at the University Hospital Center (UHC) "Mother Teresa" in Tirana between 2004 and 2012 (N=2258). All patients underwent the same examination and interviewing procedures.

Anesthetic considerations on adrenal gland surgery.

Adrenal gland surgery needs a multidisciplinary team including endocrinologist, radiologist, anesthesiologist, and surgeon. The indications for adrenal gland surgery include hormonal secreting and non-hormonal secreting tumors. Adrenal hormonal secreting tumors present to the anesthesiologist unique challenges requiring good preoperative evaluation, perioperative hemodynamic control, corrections of all electrolytes and metabolic abnormalities, a detailed and careful anesthetic strategy, overall knowledge about the specific diseases, control and maintaining of postoperative adrenal function, and finally a good collaboration with other involved colleagues.

Histocompatibility testing for organ transplantation purposes in Albania: a single center experience.

Background: Histocompatibility testing (HT) which includes donor-recipient human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching, cross-match testing (XMT) and anti-HLA antibody searching are crucial examinations in solid organ transplantation aiming to avoid the hyperacute graft rejection and also to predict the immunological outcome of the graft.

Aims: The aim of this study was to analyse the tissue typing data collected at the Laboratory of Immunology and Histocompatibility of the University Hospital Center of Tirana, Albania, in order to define those actions that should be taken for improvements in the situation of kidney transplantation in Albania.

Study Design: Descriptive study.

Newborn screening in southeastern Europe.

The aim of our study was to assess the current state of newborn screening (NBS) in the region of southeastern Europe, as an example of a developing region, focusing also on future plans. Responses were obtained from 11 countries. Phenylketonuria screening was not introduced in four of 11 countries, while congenital hypothyroidism screening was not introduced in three of them; extended NBS programs were non-existent.

Evaluation of thrombocytopenia in systemic lupus erythematosus and correlation with different organs damages.

Introduction: Thrombocytopenia is highly prevalent among patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematous(SLE) and at the same time it has been reported that a correlation exists between Thrombocytopenia and organ damage. The aim of this study is to highlight the correlation between Thrombocytopenia and the clinical manifestations of SLE.

Objectives: The objective is to show the clinical manifestations and organ damage of Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) patients who have been found to have Thrombocytopenia.

The role of computed tomography in detecting splenic arteriovenous fistula and concomitant atrial myxoma.

Patient: Female, 45 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Arterio-venous fistula of the splean Symptoms: Lef-side abdominal pain Medication: - Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: Surgery.

Objective: Rare disease.

Background: Splenic arterial-venous fistula and atrial myxoma are not rare cases but the co-existence of both lesions in the same patient is unpublished so far.

Anesthetic challenges of patients with cardiac comorbidities undergoing major urologic surgery.

The cardiac patient undergoing major urologic surgery is a complex case requiring a great attention by the anesthesiologist. Number of this group of patients having to go through this procedure is constantly increasing, due to prolonged life, increased agressiveness of surgery and increased anesthesia's safety. The anesthesiologist usually has to deal with several problems of the patient, such as hypertension, chronic heart failure, coronary artery disease, rhythm disturbances, intraoperative hemodymanic changes, intraoperative bleeding, perioperative fluid imbalance, and metabolic disturbances.

Breast cancer screening in Albania during 2007-2008.

Aim: Our aim was to assess the prevalence of breast cancer among women who showed up and participated in the breast cancer screening program during October 2007-October 2008 in Tirana, the Albanian capital city.

Methods: A breast cancer prevention and treatment campaign was undertaken in Tirana, Albania, in 2007 which included also mammography examination for the early detection of breast cancer. All women residing in Tirana municipality were invited to undergo a mammography examination free of charge.

A giant cardiac malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor presenting with total obstruction of the superior vena cava.

A 16-year-old boy presenting with dyspnea, facial swelling, cyanosis, and fatigue was found to have a tumor involving the heart, causing superior vena cava and brachiocephalic venous trunk total obstruction. This was diagnosed as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, a rare sarcoma of the heart. The patient underwent successful resection of the tumor, and reconstruction of the superior vena cava and right atrium.

Hepatitis C virus genotypes in Tirana, Albania.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a worldwide concern. Knowledge of the HCV genotype is clinically important because it predicts the rate of response to therapy and guides the treatment duration. Moreover, it allows molecular epidemiology to be performed.

Epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis in tirana, Albania.

Conflict Of Interest: none declared.

Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis is considered a clinical syndrome across several disease subsets characterized by systemic inflammation, persistent synovitis, and autoantibodies. Our aim was to assess the distribution of risk factors among people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the adult population of Tirana, the capital city of Albania.

16p subtelomeric duplication with vascular anomalies: an Albanian case report and literature review.

A patient with karyotype 46,XY,der(4) was recognized by standard cytogenetic techniques, and presented with facial features, neurological impairment and pulmonary hypertension. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) demonstrated duplication of the subtelomeric region of chromosome 16p and deletion of the subtelomeric region of chromosome 4q, suggesting a translocation between 4q and 16p. The karyotype of his parents was normal and their MLPA analysis also indicated a de novo imbalance.

Serum amyloid A is independently related to apolipoprotein A-I but not to HDL-cholesterol in patients with angina pectoris.

Background: Inflammation processes are considered important links between classical lipid risk factors and the progression of atherosclerosis. The interrelationship of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and apolipoprotein apoA-1 with acute phase proteins and cytokines was examined in a clinical setting of patients with angina pectoris.

Methods: On exclusion criteria (myocardial infarction, heart failure, CHD>2 years, anticoagulant therapy), 198 patients were recruited and were subdivided according to angiographically documented stenosis, no stenosis vs.

Serum procalcitonine levels as an early diagnostic indicator of sepsis.

Introduction: Prompt and accurate diagnosis of sepsis is of high importance for clinicians. Procalcitonine (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) have been proposed as markers for this purpose. Our aim was to evaluate the levels of PCT and CRP in early sepsis and its correlation with severity of sepsis.

The incidence of postoperative delirium in elderly patients after urologic surgery.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a frequent postoperative disorder to the sick and elderly, and always has been associated with extended of day stay in hospital, and certainly more cost for the hospital as well. Additionally, delirium is associated with increased postoperative complications, longer length of stay, longer intensive care unit stay (ICU), and much higher rates of discharge to a nursing home. As a result, delirium adds significant cost to hospitalization and subsequent medical care.

Epidemiology of infections in a burn unit, Albania.

Background: Many types of nosocomial infections (NIs) can be present in the burned patient. The purpose of this study is to calculate the rates for NI in the Intensive Care Unit of the Service of Burns and Plastic Surgery in University Hospital Centre (UHC) in Tirana, Albania.

Method: The study is prospective, clinical and analytical.

Surgical treatment of chronic hidradenitis suppurativa in the gluteal and perianal regions.

Introduction: Verneuil disease, or perianal hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), is a chronic suppurative disease with a tendency to develop sinus formation, fibrosis, and sclerosis, having a great impact on quality of life. HS affect the apocrine sweat glands or sebaceous glands and may arise in each of the regions where the apocrine glands are prominent: the axilla, breast aureole, umbilicus, perineum, groin, and buttocks. We present here moderate and extensive HS cases, with their respective treatment methods and outcomes.

Postoperative pain management at Tirana university hospital center -Mother Teresa-, Tirana, Albania.

There is no or little evidence on postoperative pain assessment and treatment in Albanian hospitals. This study is based on our every day work and aims to highlight our experience. We conducted a descriptive drug utilization study which implied data collection over 6 months.

Management of pheochromocytoma: old ideas and new drugs.

Pheochromocytoma presents a challenge to the surgery team because of its clinical features and implications. The patient must be treated before the surgery until a stable hemodynamically state is achieved. The preoperative treatment includes α2-short acting adrenergic blocking and β-blocker agents.