Investigation of VEGF and IL-8 Gene Polymorphisms in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTC) account for most of the thyroid cancers. The emergence of DTC may be affected by various predisposing genetic alterations and environmental factors The aim of this study was to investigate the role of VEGF C936T and IL-8 A251T gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis and metastasis of differentiated thyroid cancer.

Methods: The study consisted of 101 patients DTC patients and 109 healthy controls.

Twinkling artifact on color Doppler ultrasound: an advantage or a pitfall?

The twinkling artifact (TA) or color comet-tail artifact is characterized by a rapidly changing mixture of red and blue color Doppler signals. Even though many diseases and clinical conditions have been shown to produce this artifact, its source is not clearly understood yet. The TA may provide additional information to gray-scale ultrasound findings in several clinical situations.

Patient doses from CT examinations in Turkey.

Purpose: We aimed to establish the first diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for computed tomography (CT) examinations in adult and pediatric patients in Turkey and compare these with international DRLs.

Methods: CT performance information and examination parameters (for head, chest, high-resolution CT of the chest [HRCT-chest], abdominal, and pelvic protocols) from 1607 hospitals were collected via a survey. Dose length products and effective doses for standard patient sizes were calculated from the reported volume CT dose index (CTDIvol).

Acromegaly and aging: a comparative cross-sectional study.

Objective: Cognitive and functional geriatric assessment may change in acromegaly. Herein we aimed to determine at which points geriatric assessment of the cases with acromegaly differs from that of general elderly population.

Design: In this comparative cross-sectional study, a total of 30 cases with acromegaly (controlled n = 14, uncontrolled n = 16) and 30 gender and body-mass index-matched cases without acromegaly (control group, CG) above 60 years old were included.

Tear Osmolarity and Tear Function Changes in Patients with Acromegaly.

Purpose: Since acromegaly is a disease with various systemic complications, it may also have ophthalmologic consequences. The aim of the current study was to compare the tear osmolarity and tear function changes in patients with acromegaly with those in healthy controls.

Design: Prospective, cross-sectional study.

Corneal endothelial cell density and morphology in patients with acromegaly.

Objective: Acromegaly has various impacts on many organs. The ophthalmologic effects of acromegaly have not yet been investigated in detail. The aim of the current study was to evaluate qualitative and quantitative changes in corneal endothelial cells and central corneal thickness (CCT) of the patients with acromegaly.

The association of carotid cavernous fistula with Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is one of the frequent manifestations of the disorder which is an inflammatory process due to fibroblast infiltration, fibroblast proliferation and accumulation of glycosaminoglycans. Eye irritation, dryness, excessive tearing, visual blurring, diplopia, pain, visual loss, retroorbital discomfort are the symptoms and they can mimic carotid cavernous fistulas. Carotid cavernous fistulas are abnormal communications between the carotid arterial system and the cavernous sinus.

Von Hippel Lindau disease with metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor causing ectopic Cushing's syndrome.

We present a 39-year-old woman who was previously diagnosed with Von Hippel Lindau Disease (VHLD). She had surgery and radiotherapy for cranial hemangioblastoma (HA) 11 years ago and had unilateral adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma in another hospital 6 month prior to her admission to our center. Moon face, buffalo hump, central obesity, progressive weight gain and menstrual irregularities persisted after adrenalectomy.

The benefit of expiratory-phase quantitative CT densitometry in the early diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Purpose: We aimed to compare the inspiratory and expiratory quantitative computed tomography (CT) densitometric data of healthy volunteers, individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk, and COPD patients to aid in the early diagnosis of COPD.

Materials And Methods: Of the study patients, 14 were healthy volunteers (Group I), 12 were patients at risk for COPD (Group II), and 13 were COPD patients (Group III). The high-resolution CT was performed at three levels (the upper, middle, and lower parts of the lungs).

The results of computed tomography guided tru-cut transthoracic biopsy: complications and related risk factors.

Introduction: Transthoracic biopsy (TTB) is a well-defined and effective method used for pathologic sampling in the diagnosis of the pulmonary lesions. It is less invasive in comparison to surgical procedures. In addition, diagnostic rate of tru-cut biopsy is higher than that of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) especially for benign lesions.

No evidence of RET germline mutations in familial pituitary adenoma.

Pituitary adenomas are common in the general population. Although most of them are sporadic, some occur in a familial setting. In familial pituitary adenoma patients it is common that no germline defects are found after screening of aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) and other genes known to underlie the condition, suggesting the existence of yet unknown predisposition genes.

Fast MRI evaluation of pulmonary progressive massive fibrosis with VIBE and HASTE sequences: comparison with CT.

Purpose: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) and half-Fourier-acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) fast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences in the evaluation of pulmonary progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) in comparison with computed tomography (CT) imaging. If fast MRI is proven to be diagnostically significant, this modality can be used for diagnosis and follow-up studies of PMF patients.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-two PMF lesions from 20 coal workers were evaluated.

Incidental detection of granulomatous prostatitis by F-18 FDG PET/CT in a patient with bladder cancer: a rare complication of BCG instillation therapy.

A 62-year-old man with transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder had undergone transurethral resection and adjuvant treatment with several intravesical instillations of bacillus Calmette-Guerin 10 months earlier. The patient was referred for F-18 FDG PET/CT after detection of mediastinal lymphadenopathy on follow-up CT. Beside moderately increased FDG uptake in bilateral hilar and bronchopulmonary lymph nodes, focally intense FDG uptake was detected in the right lobe of the prostate.

MRCP vs. ERCP in the evaluation of biliary pathologies: review of current literature.

Objective: Recently developed magnetic resonance (MR) techniques permit fast and correct imaging of the entire biliary tree with a high spatial resolution. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic potential of one of these new MR sequences in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) procedure and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with review of current literatures.

Methods: A total of 295 patients were enrolled in this study prospectively.

Large genomic deletions in AIP in pituitary adenoma predisposition.

Context: Germline mutations in AIP have been recently shown to cause pituitary adenoma predisposition (PAP). Subsequently, many intragenic germline mutations have been reported, both in familial and in sporadic settings.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the possible contribution of large genomic germline AIP deletions, an important mutation type in tumor predisposition syndromes, in PAP.

Early adolescent primary ciliary dyskinesia associated with broncholithiasis.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), is a rare congenital disease group, and contained Kartageners syndrome. This syndrome is characterized with situs viscerum inversus, sinusitis and bronchiectasis. In some elderly patients, broncholithiasis may be associated with PCD.

Management of Cushing's disease using cavernous sinus sampling: effectiveness in tumor lateralization.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of bilateral cavernous sinus sampling (CSS) in preoperative tumor lateralization (right/left) within the pituitary in patients with Cushing's disease (CD).

Patients And Methods: The study consisted of 26 consecutive patients who had undergone CSS followed by transsphenoidal surgery (TS) for CD between 2000 and 2006 at our institution. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the selected patients either revealed a normal pituitary or a lesion View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Investigation of microalbuminuria in nondiabetic, normotensive obese women.

Aim: To investigate if obesity which is not accompanied by diabetes and/or hypertension is associated with microalbuminuria in female patients.

Materials And Methods: A total of 77 obese female patients from the Outpatient Clinic of Endocrinology of Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty and 30 age-matched, lean, healthy women were enrolled in the study. Patients with accompanying diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity associated with any endocrine abnormality, hepatic or renal disease, fever, infectious disease, malignancy were excluded.

Germline CDKN1B/p27Kip1 mutation in multiple endocrine neoplasia.

Context: Germline mutations in the MEN1 gene predispose to multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome, but in up to 20-25% of clinical MEN1 cases, no MEN1 mutations can be found. Recently, a germline mutation in the CDKN1B gene, encoding p27(Kip1), was reported in one suspected MEN1 family with two acromegalic patients.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the role of CDKN1B/p27(Kip1) in human tumor predisposition in patients clinically suspected of MEN1 but testing negative for MEN1 germline mutation as well as in familial and sporadic acromegaly/pituitary adenoma patients.

Pituitary adenoma predisposition caused by germline mutations in the AIP gene.

Pituitary adenomas are common in the general population, and understanding their molecular basis is of great interest. Combining chip-based technologies with genealogy data, we identified germline mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene in individuals with pituitary adenoma predisposition (PAP). AIP acts in cytoplasmic retention of the latent form of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and also has other functions.

Enhancement kinetics of normal ovaries on dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging.

Objective: The objective was to determine the enhancement kinetics of the normal ovaries in healthy women on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) imaging.

Method: Twenty-one women who had normal ovulatory cycles (volunteers; mean age=26.3 years, range=20-35), normal hormone profile, and apparently normal ovaries on ultrasonographic scan underwent DCE-MR imaging on a 1.

Evaluation of the hippocampus and the anterior cingulate gyrus by proton MR spectroscopy in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Purpose: Previous studies have shown that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with lymbic system dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether or not the neuronal integrity in hippocampus and anterior cingulate gyrus is affected in PTSD as assessed by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Materials And Methods: Single voxel MRS was performed in 10 PTSD patients and 6 healthy subjects in two cerebral areas highly involved in the pathophysiology of PTSD (the hippocampus and the anterior cingulate gyrus).

Doppler evaluation of pediatric goiter: effect of mandatory iodination.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic status of the thyroid in children with goiter after the use of iodinated dietary salt for 3 years in a region of endemic iodine deficiency.

Methods: Sixty-six children between 7 and 12 years of age were included in the study. Three groups were constituted according to sonographically measured thyroid volume and urinary iodine excretion levels.

Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine: a prospective comparison of fast T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and T1-weighted turbo spin echo MR imaging.

Objective: To compare fast T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T1-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE) imaging of the degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five consecutive patients (19 females, 16 males; mean age 41 years, range 31-67 years) with suspected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine were prospectively evaluated. Sagittal images of the lumbar spine were obtained using T1-weighted TSE and fast T1-weighted FLAIR sequences.

Mucinous cystadenoma mimicking simple renal parenchymal cyst in a horseshoe kidney.

We report a case of mucinous cystadenoma in a horseshoe kidney which radiologically resembled a simple renal cyst. In the published literature, three cases of mucinous cystadenoma of renal origin have been reported. Although these tumors are believed to originate from the renal pelvis, the cyst in the present case originated from renal parenchyma.