Abstract Objective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of liver apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measured with conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (CDI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for ...the diagnosis of liver fibrosis and inflammation. Materials and methods Thirty-seven patients with histologic diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis and 34 healthy volunteers were included in this prospective study. All patients and healthy volunteers were examined by 3 T MRI. CDI and DTI were performed using a breath-hold single-shot echo-planar spin echo sequence with b factors of 0 and 1000 s/mm2 . ADCs were obtained with CDI and DTI. Histopathologically, fibrosis of the liver parenchyma was classified with the use of a 5-point scale (0–4) and inflammation was classified with use of a 4-point scale (0–3) in accordance with the METAVIR score. Quantitatively, signal intensity and the ADCs of the liver parenchyma were compared between patients stratified by fibrosis stage and inflammation grade. Results With a b factor of 1000 s/mm2 , the signal intensity of the cirrhotic livers was significantly higher than those of the normal volunteers. In addition, ADCs reconstructed from CDI and DTI of the patients were significantly lower than those of the normal volunteers. Liver ADC values inversely correlated with fibrosis and inflammation but there was only statistically significant for inflammatory grading. CDI performed better than DTI for the diagnosis of fibrosis and inflammation. Conclusion ADC values measured with CDI and DTI may help in the detection of liver fibrosis. They may also give contributory to the inflammatory grading, particularly in distinguishing high from low grade.
Esophageal cancer is a poor-prognosis malignancy that ranks eighth among all cancer types, and its prevalence shows differences among geographical regions. Although the most important risk factors ...for esophageal carcinoma are alcohol and smoking, viral infections, particularly HPV infection, are also considered among etiological agents. Our study aims to detect the presence of HPV in esophageal cancers in our patient population and to investigate its correlation with clinico-pathological parameters.
We investigated the presence of HPV-DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction in a total of 52 patients with esophageal cancer. Subtype analysis was performed in positive cases and was correlated with selected clinico-pathological parameters.
Five (9.6%) of 52 tumor samples, 3 squamous cell carcinomas (3/33 cases) and 2 adenocarcinomas (2/19 cases), were HPV-DNA-positive. Subtype analysis could be performed in four HPV-DNA-positive cases, of which three were HPV type-39 and 1 was type-16. The Marmara region, where the present study was carried out, is a region with low-moderate risk for esophageal cancer, and the prevalence of HPV-DNA in these tumors is similar to the prevalence of HPV-DNA reported in the literature for regions with similar risk.
In conclusion, we detected HPV DNA in a subset of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction tumors. HPV infection may have a role in esophageal carcinogenesis and high-risk HPV subtypes can particularly be considered among risk factors since the prevalence of high risk HPV infection has also been found to be increased in regions with a high risk for esophageal cancer compared to low-moderate risk regions.
The differential pathophysiologic mechanisms that trigger and maintain the two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn disease (CD), and ulcerative colitis (UC) are only partially ...understood. cDNA microarrays can be used to decipher gene regulation events at a genome-wide level and to identify novel unknown genes that might be involved in perpetuating inflammatory disease progression.
High-density cDNA microarrays representing 33,792 UniGene clusters were prepared. Biopsies were taken from the sigmoid colon of normal controls (n = 11), CD patients (n = 10) and UC patients (n = 10). 33P-radiolabeled cDNA from purified poly(A)+ RNA extracted from biopsies (unpooled) was hybridized to the arrays. We identified 500 and 272 transcripts differentially regulated in CD and UC, respectively. Interesting hits were independently verified by real-time PCR in a second sample of 100 individuals, and immunohistochemistry was used for exemplary localization. The main findings point to novel molecules important in abnormal immune regulation and the highly disturbed cell biology of colonic epithelial cells in IBD pathogenesis, e.g., CYLD (cylindromatosis, turban tumor syndrome) and CDH11 (cadherin 11, type 2). By the nature of the array setup, many of the genes identified were to our knowledge previously uncharacterized, and prediction of the putative function of a subsection of these genes indicate that some could be involved in early events in disease pathophysiology.
A comprehensive set of candidate genes not previously associated with IBD was revealed, which underlines the polygenic and complex nature of the disease. It points out substantial differences in pathophysiology between CD and UC. The multiple unknown genes identified may stimulate new research in the fields of barrier mechanisms and cell signalling in the context of IBD, and ultimately new therapeutic approaches.
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) are two distinct types of thyroid carcinoma with considerable difference in terms of cellular origin, histopathological ...appearance, clinical course and prevalence. The histogenetic origin and possible molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of mixed medullary-papillary carcinoma of the thyroid are still unclear. The most widely accepted hypotheses considering co-occurrence of MTC and PTC are stem cell theory, collision effect theory and hostage theory. Herein we describe two rare cases of mixed medullary-papillary thyroid carcinoma with co-occurrence of MTC and PTC which developed with concomitant MEN 2A and different sites of lymph node metastasis in the first patient, while with atypical clinical presentation in the second patient. In conclusion, co-expression of thyroglobulin, synaptophysin and chromogranin by the papillary component of mixed tumor seems to support stem cell theory in our first case, whereas positive staining for calcitonin but not for thyroglobulin in the medullary component of the tumor along with separation of these two tumors from each other by a normal thyroid tissue seem to indicates the likelihood of collision effect theory in our second case.
Laparoscopy systems possess remarkable heat production. Video-laparoscopy was used for colonoscopy intraoperatively in rabbits. Rod lens type laparoscopes 5 and 10 mm in diameter connected with 175 ...and 300-W xenon light sources were used in combination. Physiological parameters including blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturations, and luminal temperatures were investigated during 20 minutes of colonoscopy. Thermal damage scores were obtained by histopathologic analysis of the intestinal wall. The changes were categorized as physiological and structural. Damage scores were not different when 175-W light source was used with 5- and 10-mm laparoscopes. Intraluminal heat values most increased with 300 W plus 10-mm laparoscope and caused significant increase in damage scores. Structural damage indicating tissue necrosis was not observed with any of the combination in all groups. Video-laparoscopy systems did not cause significant tissue damage when used at low and moderate levels of xenon light source in the rabbit bowel intraoperatively.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The development and widespread use of abdominal imaging techniques has increased the incidence of unexpected adrenal tumors called adrenal incidentaloma. Adrenal myelolipomas are the ...second most common incidentalomas. Similar myelolipomatous morphology appears as a secondary degenerative change in other adrenal lesions and is called myelolipomatous metaplasia. This study investigated the adrenal entities of the last 13 years which had myelolipomatous components. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, cases diagnosed as adrenal myelolipoma or myelolipomatous metaplasia between January, 2009 and January, 2022 were re-examined regarding their age, gender, localization, lesion size, and secondary histopathological changes, accompanying pathological diagnoses as well as clinical and radiological data. RESULTS: Eleven adrenal myelolipoma cases and 6 myelolipomatous metaplasia cases were detected. In myelolipomas, the mean age was 55.45 years, 73% were female and 82% were located on the right side. The lesions were encapsulated and their mean size was 7 cm. One case had a diagnosis of subclinical Cushing's syndrome and the others were hormonally inactive. Some cases were accompanied with hypertension (27%), type 2 diabetes (18%), and asthma (18%). All myelolipomatous metaplasias, which are non-encapsulated, were detected in adrenocortical adenomas. The mean age was 58 years; nonencapsulated and 67% were located on the right side with no gender predilection. Concomitant hypertension (50%), diabetes /33%, and asthma (33%) were frequent. CONCLUSION: Adrenal myelolipoma and myelolipomatous metaplasia both contain adipose and myeloid components. Myelolipoma is a benign and encapsulated neoplasia which is usually detected incidentally. They frequently coexist with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma. Keywords: Adrenal, myelolipoma, myelolipomatous metaplasia
Congenital thyroid abnormalities are rarely seen. They mostly include hemiagenesis with or without involving the isthmus. In this report, we present a case of bilateral lobe agenesis with ...hypertrophied isthmus and high calcium and elevated PTH levels which were detected during routine examinations of a 49-year-old female patient. Some findings consistent with parathyroid pathology on the right side were determined in parathyroid scintigraphy. At thyroid scan and neck ultrasonography there was no sign of bilateral thyroid tissue except a mass localized isthmus. The right lower parathyroidectomy and thyroidectomy for isthmus were performed; the pathology report was shown as parathyroid adenoma and nodular colloidal goiter. This case of bilobar agenesis with incidental primary hyperparathyroidism due to single parathyroid adenoma is the first case reported in literature.
Congenital tracheobiliary and bronchobiliary fistulae are rare malformations in which patent communications exist between the respiratory system and biliary tract, respectively. We present a newborn ...who was admitted with respiratory distress and bilious tracheal discharge. Investigation revealed a bronchobiliary fistula originating from the left main bronchus, as well as biliary atresia. Excision of the bronchobiliary fistula was successful and the connection between biliary tract and gastrointestinal system was established by performance of a Roux-en-Y cholecysto-jejunostomy. Diagnostic tools, differential diagnosis, and surgical correction strategies are discussed.
AIM: To investigate the indication, feasibility, safety, and clinical utility of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the management of various gastrointestinal pathologies. METHODS: The medical ...records of 60 consecutive patients (34 female, 26 male) who underwent ESD at the gastroenterology department of Kocaeli University from 2006-2010 were examined. Patients selected for ESDhad premalignant lesions or non-invasive early cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and had endoscopic and histological diagnoses. Early cancers were considered to be confined to the submucosa, with no lymph node involvement by means of computed tomography and endosonography. RESULTS: Sixty ESD procedures were performed. The indications were epithelial lesions (n = 39) (33/39 adenoma with high grade dysplasia, 6/39 adenoma with low grade dysplasia), neuroendocrine tumor (n = 7), cancer (n = 7) (5/7 early colorectal cancer, 2/7 early gastric cancer), granular cell tumor (n = 3), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (n = 2), and leiomyoma (n = 2). En bloc and piecemeal resection rates were 91.6% (55/60) and 8.3% (5/60), respectively. Complete and incomplete resection rates were 96.6% (58/60) and 3.3% (2/60), respectively. Complications were major bleeding n = 3 (5%) and perforations n = 5 (8.3%) (4 colon, 1 stomach). Two patients with colonic perforations and two patients with submucosal lymphatic and microvasculature invasion (1 gastric carcinoid tumor, 1 colonic adenocarcinoma) were referred to surgery. During a mean follow-up of 12 mo, 1 patient with adenoma with high grade dysplasia underwent a second ESD procedure to resect a local recurrence. CONCLUSION: ESD is a feasible and safe method for treatment of premalignant lesions and early malignant gastrointestinal epithelial and subepithelial lesions. Successful en bloc and complete resection of lesions yield high cure rates with low recurrence.