Depression, anxiety, and their relation with clinical parametersand androgen levels in hirsute women.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with hirsutism and to evaluate the relationships of anxiety and depression with clinical parameters and androgen levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seven women with hirsutism were enrolled in the study. All participants completed standardized questionnaires to assess depression (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)). The Ferriman-Gallwey (FG) scores, body mass indexes (BMIs), homeostatic model assessments of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and serum androgen levels of all patients were obtained. RESULTS: Seventy-four of the 107 patients (69.15%) had BDI scores indicating depression, and 47 of the 107 patients (43.9%) had BAI scores indicating anxiety disorders. No difference was found between high BAI and normal BAI patients related to BMI, age, FG scores, testosterone levels, and HOMA-IR levels (P > 0.05), and no difference was found between high BDI and normal BDI patients related to BMI, age, FG scores, free testosterone levels, and HOMA-IR levels. There was a positive correlation between BDI scores and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) levels (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We found considerable amounts of depression, anxiety, and the coexistence of depression and anxiety in patients with hirsutism. Depression and the severity of depressive symptoms were positively correlated with DHEA-S levels.

Comparison of efficiencies of michigan neuropathy screening instrument, neurothesiometer, and electromyography for diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy.

Aim. This study compares the effectiveness of Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), neurothesiometer, and electromyography (EMG) in detecting diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients with diabetes type 2. Materials and Methods. 106 patients with diabetes type 2 treated at the outpatient clinic of Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital Department of Endocrinology between September 2008 and May 2009 were included in this study. Patients were evaluated by glycemic regulation tests, MNSI (questionnaire and physical examination), EMG (for detecting sensorial and motor defects in right median, ulnar, posterior tibial, and bilateral sural nerves), and neurothesiometer (for detecting alterations in cold and warm sensations as well as vibratory sensations). Results. According to the MNSI score, there was diabetic peripheral neuropathy in 34 (32.1%) patients (score ≥2.5). However, when the patients were evaluated by EMG and neurothesiometer, neurological impairments were detected in 49 (46.2%) and 79 (74.5%) patients, respectively. Conclusion. According to our findings, questionnaires and physical examination often present lower diabetic peripheral neuropathy prevalence. Hence, we recommend that in the evaluation of diabetic patients neurological tests should be used for more accurate results and thus early treatment options to prevent neuropathic complications.

Relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and thyroid diseases.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a widespread disorder characterized by recurrent, partial, or complete episodes of apnea due to upper airway tract obstruction during sleep. OSAS frequency is likely to increase in hypothyroidism because of obesity, macroglossia, dysfunctional upper respiratory tractus (URT) musculature, deposition of mucopolysaccharides in URT tissues, and decreased ventilatory control. This study examines the relationship between OSAS and thyroid disease in OSAS subjects. This study includes 150 polysomnographically diagnosed OSAS patients (50 mild, 50 moderate, 50 severe OSAS cases) treated at Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital between January 2010 and May 2011 and 32 non-OSAS control subjects. All patients were given serum TSH, free T3 (fT3), free T4 (fT4), anti thyroid peroxidase (Anti-TPO), and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-TG) tests, as well as thyroid ultrasounds. We did not find any difference in prevalence of hypothyroidism, numbers of nodules and parenchyma heterogenicity determined by ultrasound, between OSAS subgroups and controls (p > 0,05). In this study, functional and ultrasonographic examination of the thyroid gland did not reveal any relationship between OSAS and thyroid disease. We believe hence that long-term follow-up studies can establish the possible significance of routine evaluation of OSAS patients for thyroid disease.