RE: Communication between the Cystic Lesions of the Liver and Biliary Tree: How Can We Evaluate Efficiently and Safely?

No abstract available.

RE: Percutaneous Angioplasty in Diabetic Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia

No abstract available.

RE: Percutaneous Retroperitoneal Access

No abstract available.

RE: Diffusion-Weighted Imaging of Prostate Cancer: How Can We Use It Accurately?

No abstract available.

Serum Chitotriosidase Activity in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Response to Treatment and Correlations with Clinical Parameters

BACKGROUND: Chitotriosidase is an accepted marker of macrophage activation. In this study, we investigated serum chitotriosidase levels in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). METHODS: Forth-two patients with PTB and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. The radiological extent of PTB, radiological sequela after treatment, and the degree of smear positivity were assessed. Chitotriosidase levels were measured by a fluorometric method. RESULTS: The serum chitotriosidase levels of the PTB patients were significantly higher than those of the control subjects (39.73+/-24.97 vs. 9.63+/-4.55 nmol/mL/h, P<0.001). After completion of the standard 6-month antituberculous treatment, chitotriosidase levels in PTB patients significantly decreased (10.47+/-4.54 nmol/mL/h, P<0.001). Chitotriosidase levels correlated significantly with the radiological extent of PTB, degree of smear positivity, and post-treatment radiological sequela score (r=0.439, r=0.449, and r=0.337, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that serum chitotriosidase levels increase in PTB; therefore, chitotriosidase can be used as a marker of disease activity, severity, and response to treatment.

Percutaneous Treatment of a Primary Pancreatic Hydatid Cyst Using a Catheterization Technique

Primary pancreatic hydatid cysts are rare and its percutaneous treatment and catheterization technique has, to the best of our knowledge, not been published in literature. A 33-year-old male patient who presented with abdominal pain was evaluated by ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography examinations. Both examinations revealed a cyst in the neck of the pancreas. After the administration of albendazole chemoprophylaxis, the patient underwent diagnostic puncture showing high pressure spring water which harbored the scoleces and was treated percutaneously by the catheterization technique. In this technique, first the cyst was punctured, the fluid content aspirated, the radiocontrast material injected to see possible fistulisation, and then re-aspirated. The 20% hypertonic saline solution was injected and re-aspiration was performed to the best of our abilities, followed by the insertion of a catheter for drainage of the remaining non-aspiratable fluid content. At follow-up examination, the cyst was not visible on US after 6 months. There was no evidence of cyst recurrence or dissemination after 18 months at serologic and imaging follow-up.