BACKGROUND:Infective endocarditis (IE) has a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Complications are often due to systemic embolization. We treated a 47-year-old hemodialysis man with infective endocarditis complicated with cerebral and splenic infarction.METHODS:The patient was brought to the emergency department because of altered mental status and fecal incontinence. Although he did not meet the Duke Criteria for IE diagnosis, clinical suspicions of IE warranted further diagnostic studies. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed cerebral infarction with abnormal neurological findings. An abdominal computerized tomography revealed an incidental and unexpected splenic infarction without physical findings. Echocardiography revealed a vegetative growth (-1.2×1 cm) over the mitral posterior leaflet with severe mitral valve regurgitation. Based on these results, the patient was diagnosed with IE complicated with severe cerebral and splenic infarction.RESULTS:The patient was treated with intravenous teicoplanin including gentamicin, subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin, and oral acetylsalicylic acid. Mitral valve replacement surgery was performed after the patient improved clinically.CONCLUSION:Emergency physicians should be aware of the life-threatening complications of IE, which may be presented subtly or without clinical evidence.

Adult presentation of a rectocutaneous fistula with imperforate anus is rare. We report the case of a 22-year-old man who presented with an anorectal malformation and a rectocutaneous fistula. The patient complained of faecal matter passing through the external orifis of a fistula located at the distal part of his scrotum. He was continent for solid faeces, but had leakage of flatus and faecal soiling. He had no other associated anomaly. The patient subsequently underwent a surgical procedure where anal transposition was done. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the patient was fully continent at control examination.
Anal Canal ; abnormalities ; Anorectal Malformations ; Anus, Imperforate ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Male ; Rectal Fistula ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Scrotum ; surgery ; Young Adult

Common carotid artery (CCA) dissection is a rare emergency condition. Early diagnosis of these cases is important to prevent the ischemic emergencies. We presented a CCA dissection case, who was admitted to the hospital after taken out from under rubble with satisfactory outcome.
Carotid Artery Injuries ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of idiopathic infantile nystagmus (IN) and bilateral ametropic amblyopia on metabolites in the occipital cortex by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. METHODS: The children included in this prospective study were divided into three groups. Group 1 consisted of 11 patients with idiopathic IN, group 2 consisted of 10 patients with bilateral ametropic amblyopia and group 3 consisted of nine normal children. A single-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy examination was performed by placing a region of interest on the occipital cortex of each participant. N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho) concentrations were measured in the occipital cortex. This was followed by calculating and comparing the NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios between the three groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in NAA/Cr ratios between patients with idiopathic IN and normal children, but there was a statistically significant difference between these groups when Cho/Cr ratios were compared; the ratio was higher in the idiopathic IN group. There were no statistically significant differences in NAA/Cr or Cho/Cr ratios between patients with bilateral ametropic amblyopia and normal children. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the neurochemical profile of the occipital cortex is partially affected by idiopathic IN, but not by bilateral ametropic amblyopia.
Amblyopia ; Aspartic Acid ; Child ; Choline ; Creatine ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Occipital Lobe ; Prospective Studies

Paragangliomas are relatively rare chromaffin cell tumors which may be cured through resection. Patients with paragangliomas may develop metastatic diseases. There is no consensus regarding refractory chemotherapy for treatment of metastatic disease. In this report, we presented a case of a 43-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital with a history of episodic headaches, diaphoresis, and weakness. Elevated plasma catecholamine levels and a right paraaortic mass were observed on computed tomography. The mass was excised, and a diagnosis of paraganglioma was confirmed. After 20 months of follow-up, local recurrence and metastases were detected in the thorax, abdomen, and skeletal system. Plasma and urinary catecholamine levels were high. Chemotherapy was administered, and no improvement was observed. Therefore, following this palliative conventional chemotherapy, sorafenib was administered for three months, and, finally, positron emission tomography showed that the patient's lesions had completely regressed.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Chromaffin Cells ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraganglioma* ; Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal ; Pheochromocytoma ; Plasma ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Recurrence ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: The most common complication after tendon repair is the development of adhesion, with subsequent rupture. METHODS: In this study, we present a new method in which the tendon healing contact surface is increased to reduce these complications. The tendons of chickens in groups 1, 3, and 5 were transversely cut and repaired with in the traditional fashion with double-modified Kessler method and 5/0 polypropylene. In the other groups, 3 mm of the tendon was removed from the proximal half of the upper end and from the distal half of the lower end of the tendon, and they were repaired with the modified Kessler method. The tendons of the chickens in groups 1 and 2 were evaluated immediatelly after surgery. Groups 3 and 4 were evaluated at 4 weeks after surgery. Groups 5 and 6 were evaluated at 6 weeks. RESULTS: Increases in transient inflammation and connective tissue formation were observed more clearly in the group treated with the new method in histopathological investigations at weeks 4 and 6. The stretching test showed statistically significant differences between groups 3 and 4 (P < 0.05) and groups 5 and 6 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: When repairing tendons with the new method, the healing surface increases and the direction of collagen fibers at the surface changes. Because of these effects, the strength of the tendon healing line increases; we therefore expect that this technique will enable patients to safely engage in early active exercise after the operation, with less risk of tendon rupture.
Chickens ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Methods ; Polypropylenes ; Rupture ; Tendons* ; Wounds and Injuries

Background: Patients with early-stage lung tumors that are highly suspicious for malignancy typically undergo a preoperative diagnostic workup, primarily through bronchoscopy or transthoracic biopsy. Those without a preoperative diagnosis may alternatively be treated with upfront surgery, contingent upon the potential for intraoperative diagnosis.Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the impact of upfront surgery on the survival of these patients. Our study aimed to elucidate the effect of upfront surgery on the survival outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for early-stage lung cancer without a preoperative diagnosis. Methods: We analyzed the survival rate of 158 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary resection for stage I lung cancer, either with or without a preoperative diagnosis. Results: A total of 86 patients (54%) underwent upfront surgery. This approach positively impacted both disease-free survival (p=0.031) and overall survival (p=0.017). However, no significant differences were observed across subgroups based on sex, smoking status, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, histologic tumor size, or histologic subtype. Univariate analysis identified upfront surgery (p=0.020), age (p=0.002), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) exceeding 7 (p=0.001), and histological tumor size greater than 20 mm (p=0.009) as independent predictors. However, multivariate analysis indicated that only SUVmax greater than 7 (p=0.011) was a significant predictor of unfavorable survival. Conclusion Upfront surgery does not appear to confer a survival advantage in patients with stage I lung cancer undergoing surgical intervention.

Background: Patients with early-stage lung tumors that are highly suspicious for malignancy typically undergo a preoperative diagnostic workup, primarily through bronchoscopy or transthoracic biopsy. Those without a preoperative diagnosis may alternatively be treated with upfront surgery, contingent upon the potential for intraoperative diagnosis.Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the impact of upfront surgery on the survival of these patients. Our study aimed to elucidate the effect of upfront surgery on the survival outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for early-stage lung cancer without a preoperative diagnosis. Methods: We analyzed the survival rate of 158 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary resection for stage I lung cancer, either with or without a preoperative diagnosis. Results: A total of 86 patients (54%) underwent upfront surgery. This approach positively impacted both disease-free survival (p=0.031) and overall survival (p=0.017). However, no significant differences were observed across subgroups based on sex, smoking status, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, histologic tumor size, or histologic subtype. Univariate analysis identified upfront surgery (p=0.020), age (p=0.002), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) exceeding 7 (p=0.001), and histological tumor size greater than 20 mm (p=0.009) as independent predictors. However, multivariate analysis indicated that only SUVmax greater than 7 (p=0.011) was a significant predictor of unfavorable survival. Conclusion Upfront surgery does not appear to confer a survival advantage in patients with stage I lung cancer undergoing surgical intervention.

Background: Patients with early-stage lung tumors that are highly suspicious for malignancy typically undergo a preoperative diagnostic workup, primarily through bronchoscopy or transthoracic biopsy. Those without a preoperative diagnosis may alternatively be treated with upfront surgery, contingent upon the potential for intraoperative diagnosis.Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the impact of upfront surgery on the survival of these patients. Our study aimed to elucidate the effect of upfront surgery on the survival outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for early-stage lung cancer without a preoperative diagnosis. Methods: We analyzed the survival rate of 158 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary resection for stage I lung cancer, either with or without a preoperative diagnosis. Results: A total of 86 patients (54%) underwent upfront surgery. This approach positively impacted both disease-free survival (p=0.031) and overall survival (p=0.017). However, no significant differences were observed across subgroups based on sex, smoking status, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, histologic tumor size, or histologic subtype. Univariate analysis identified upfront surgery (p=0.020), age (p=0.002), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) exceeding 7 (p=0.001), and histological tumor size greater than 20 mm (p=0.009) as independent predictors. However, multivariate analysis indicated that only SUVmax greater than 7 (p=0.011) was a significant predictor of unfavorable survival. Conclusion Upfront surgery does not appear to confer a survival advantage in patients with stage I lung cancer undergoing surgical intervention.

Background: Patients with early-stage lung tumors that are highly suspicious for malignancy typically undergo a preoperative diagnostic workup, primarily through bronchoscopy or transthoracic biopsy. Those without a preoperative diagnosis may alternatively be treated with upfront surgery, contingent upon the potential for intraoperative diagnosis.Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the impact of upfront surgery on the survival of these patients. Our study aimed to elucidate the effect of upfront surgery on the survival outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for early-stage lung cancer without a preoperative diagnosis. Methods: We analyzed the survival rate of 158 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary resection for stage I lung cancer, either with or without a preoperative diagnosis. Results: A total of 86 patients (54%) underwent upfront surgery. This approach positively impacted both disease-free survival (p=0.031) and overall survival (p=0.017). However, no significant differences were observed across subgroups based on sex, smoking status, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, histologic tumor size, or histologic subtype. Univariate analysis identified upfront surgery (p=0.020), age (p=0.002), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) exceeding 7 (p=0.001), and histological tumor size greater than 20 mm (p=0.009) as independent predictors. However, multivariate analysis indicated that only SUVmax greater than 7 (p=0.011) was a significant predictor of unfavorable survival. Conclusion Upfront surgery does not appear to confer a survival advantage in patients with stage I lung cancer undergoing surgical intervention.