Evaluation of beneficial effects of dexpanthenol on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a cause of serious morbidity and mortality in newborns. Dexpanthenol, which is metabolized into D-pantothenic acid, has antioxidant and other potentially therapeutic properties. We examined some effects of dexpanthenol on the brains of week-old rat pups with HIE induced by obstruction of the right carotid artery followed by keeping in 8% O2 for 2 hours. Dexpanthenol (500 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to 16 of 32 pups with HIE. Protein, DNA, and lipid oxidation degradation products were assayed and hippocampal and cortical cell apoptosis and neuronal cell numbers were evaluated in stained sections. Dexpanthenol application reduced oxidative stress and inflammation. TNF-α and IL-6 cytokine levels in HIE also decreased with dexpanthenol treatment. The numbers of caspase-3 positive cells in the dentate gyrus and CA1/CA2/CA3 regions of the hippocampus was lower, and apoptosis was decreased in the dexpanthenol-treated animals. These findings suggest possible clinical applications of dexpanthenol in human HIE.

Mycetoma (Madura foot): A Case Report of a Rare Tropical Disease in Turkey.

Mycetoma is a chronic discharging infection involving the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and bone, which is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries. We report a rare case of mycetoma localized on the foot of a patient living in a country with a temperate climate. A 32-year-old male patient presented with painless swelling in the right foot. He had undergone surgery 3 years ago with the same complaints. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 90 × 65 × 37 mm cystic soft tissue lesion in the posterior of the right ankle. Histological analysis identified the fungus. Extensive resection was performed. Mycetoma is characterized by chronic granulomatous inflammatory response, often associated with sinus tract formations due to fungal (eumycetoma) or bacterial (actinomycetoma) organisms. Here we provide a literature review and highlight the importance of increasing awareness toward mycetoma, particularly in non-endemic regions.

Satisfaction and compliance of adult patients using hearing aid and evaluation of factors affecting them.

The aims of this study are to reveal patient compliance and satisfaction in hearing aid-prescribed adult population and to determine the relevant clinical factors. The study was designed retrospectively, and those patients who have been using hearing aid for at least 6 months were invited for evaluation. Demographical data, hearing aid type (digital vs analog), general satisfaction, and daily usage time were asked. Then, the Hearing Aid Satisfaction Questionnaire (HASQ) was applied to all patients which included visual analog scale (VAS)-based 10 questions about the effects of hearing aid on social communication, efficiency, cosmetics, life quality and cost. Totally 400 patients were included in the study. The HASQ was confirmed to be highly reliable by "Kaiser Meyer Olkin and Bartlett Sphericity" tests after exclusion of aid-cost question. There was a negative correlation between age and satisfaction, and a positive correlation between hearing aid usage time (years) and satisfaction (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between mean HASQ scores regarding gender, employment status, hearing aid type and the site of hearing aid wearing. HASQ scores were significantly worse in pure sensorineural loss type, lower educational status, shorter daily usage time, but better in higher pure tone threshold levels (p < 0.05). Age, time of hearing aid usage daily, type of hearing impairment, the threshold of hearing and education were the factors affecting satisfaction. Regular daily usage of hearing aid should be encouraged in patients, since by this way aid usage and satisfaction may be improved.

Is there any correlation between the results of skin-prick test and the severity of symptoms in allergic rhinitis?

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to determine whether there is any correlation between results of the skin-prick test and the severity of symptoms in allergic rhinitis. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 150 patients with persistent or intermittent allergic rhinitis confirmed by positive skin tests and scaled from 1 to 4 according to the size of the wheal. The symptoms including sneezing, nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and nasal itching were ranked according to their severity (0 for no symptoms, 1 for mild, 2 for moderate, and 3 for severe). We investigated the correlation between the skin tests' positivity and symptoms score, rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaire (RQLQ), and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. RESULTS: Of the 150 patients, 98 had persistent and 52 had intermittent allergic rhinitis. Some patients had multiple allergen sensitivity. Each skin test group was compared with respect to symptom scores, RQLQ, or VAS scores. There was no statistically significant correlation between the size of the wheal and symptoms score, RQLQ, or VAS scores. There was also no correlation between the type of allergen and symptoms score. CONCLUSION: The skin-prick test can be applied to support the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, but one can not predict the severity of illness by stratifying the size of the skin-prick test result.

[Rhino-orbital mucormycosis with orbital abscess: a case report]. / Orbital apseyle seyreden rino-orbital mukormikozis: Olgu sunumu.

Sinonasal mucormycosis is a rare, life-threatening and insidious fungal infection. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and immunsupression are the most important risk factors. The infection is clinically characterized by black necrotic tissues and crusting in the nasal cavity. In acute fulminant rhinosinusitis and particularly in infections caused by mucor species, black scar tissues seen on the nasal mucosa are pathognomonic. High level of suspicion in the risk group the diagnosis is confirmed by histopathological examination. The rhinoorbital form is even rarer and the findings may range from orbital pain to ophtalmoplegia and blindness. In this report we present a 72-year-old female patient with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus who was admited with the complaints of exophtalmos in the left eye, diplopia and headache. In the physical examination there was purulent discharge in the middle meatus and left orbital abscess was detected on computed tomography. We performed an emergency endoscopic sinus surgery. While we did not observe any necrotic tissues, granulation tissues were detected and pus was drained from the orbital cavity. The result of the histopathological examination was reported as invasive mucormycosis. We presented this case to emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of rhinoorbital mucormycosis.