ABSTRACT
Time of day can affect the outcome of medical procedures and surgical operations. The current study was designed to assess whether time of day can influence the quality of breast cancer surgery or not. Patients who underwent breast cancer surgery and axillary lymph node dissection in Tehran, Iran between March 2012 and March 2013 were enrolled. Surgeries were categorized into two group based on the time of initiation [before and after 1 pm]. We considered the number of dissected lymph node as an indicator of operation quality. In this way, dissection of at least six lymph nodes was considered as an adequate number of lymph node examinations. A total of 134 patients were enrolled. Median start time of surgery was 11 am. Surgeries were performed before and after 1 pm in 105[78.4%] and 29[21.6%] patients, respectively. The association between time and the number of dissected lymph nodes was significant when they were considered either as a categorical [P = 0.002] or continuous variables [P = 0.039]. Based on our results, it can be suggested that breast surgeries with later start time might have lower quality
ABSTRACT
Superoxide radicals are produced during oxidative metabolic processes, and removed by superoxide dismutase [SOD] enzymes. Controversial results have been reported regarding the tissue and plasma concentration of SOD in patients with breast cancer. Venous blood was obtained from study participants and activity of SOD enzyme was determined in 100 women. Comparison was made between 50 patients with breast cancer and 50 individuals in control group. The activities of SOD in patients with malignancy and control group were 553.56 +/- 53.67 U/gr Hb and 1218.60 +/- 98.55 U/gr Hb, respectively [P <0.001]. Patients with higher stage and nuclear grade had lower SOD activity. lower levels of SOD activity was observed in women with breast cancer compared to healthy individuals. Considering the existing controversy regarding the SOD level in breast cancer patients, further studies to explore the reason of these differences are warranted
ABSTRACT
A 3-year-old boy was admitted to the emergency department with right lower limb pain, edema, and livedoid discoloration that occurred immediately after intramuscular injection of benzathine penicillin. The patient was diagnosed with Nicolau syndrome, a rare complication of intramuscular injection presumed to be related to the inadvertent intravascular injection. It was first reported following intramuscular injection of bismuth salt, but it can occur as a complication of various other drugs. Fasciotomy was carried out due to the resultant compartment syndrome and medical therapy with heparin, corticosteroid, and pentoxifyllin was initiated
ABSTRACT
Background: Skin metastases occur in 1-5% of solid tumors and are rarely the presenting sign of internal malignancies. Certain features in skin lesions raise suspicion of metastasis from solid tumors. Case Presentation: In this article a 61-year-old woman is presented with erythematous skin nodules in upper abdomen and chest. Histopathological evaluation of lesions suggested metastatic carcinoma and a thorough search found stomach signet cell adenocarcinoma and breast lobular carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed diagnosis of lobular carcinoma with metastasis developed in skin and stomach. Conclusions: Clinicians must be aware that malignancies can present by skin metastases. Since breast and stomach cancer can both metastasize to skin, immunohistochemistry evaluation is of great importance to diagnose the primary tumor