Mediastinal, cystic and functional parathyroid adenoma in patients with double parathyroid adenomas: a case report.

Primary hyperparathyroidism is usually caused by single adenoma. Ectopic adenomas are a frequent cause of recurrent or persistent hyperparathyroidism. Parathyroid cysts are rarely seen and most of them are non functional. This case report describes a patient with double adenoma, one is solid and cervical, the other is cystic and located in mediastinum; both of them are functional.

Expression of c-erbB-2 and p53 in breast carcinoma patients: comparison with traditional prognostic factors and survival.

We aimed to determine the correlations between standard clinicopathological factors and expression of c-erbB-2 and p53 proteins, and to investigate the significance of these variables in relapse and disease-free survival (DFS) in breast carcinoma patients. Data from 200 patients who had undergone mastectomy for breast carcinoma were evaluated. Significant correlations were found between c-erbB-2 positivity and high histological grade (grade 3) tumour, p53 positivity and high grade tumour, and age < 60 years and oestrogen receptor negativity. Twenty-six patients (13%) developed a recurrence. Disease relapse was more frequent in patients who had axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis, high grade tumour, c-erbB-2 positivity and p53 positivity; these variables were also associated with a shorter DFS. The effects of ALN metastasis and p53 positivity were significant. In conclusion, ALN metastasis and p53 positivity were important factors for predicting disease relapse in mastectomy-treated breast carcinoma patients; other clinicopathological criteria and c-erbB-2 positivity were not predictive.

Bcl-2 and p53 expression in insular and in well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas with an insular pattern.

Expression of p53 and bcl-2 oncogenes was investigated in poorly differentiated, so-called insular carcinomas of the thyroid gland and also in the follicular and papillary carcinomas with an insular component. Hematoxylin-eosin sections of 217 thyroid carcinomas were reevaluated for insular carcinoma and also for thyroid carcinomas with an insular component. Immunohistochemical staining method was used for detecting p53 and bcl-2 expression on paraffin blocks of three pure insular, five follicular or papillary thyroid carcinomas with a major insular component (more than 50%) and six with a minor insular component (20-50%). Flow cytometry was also performed in these cases. None of the cases showed p53 immunoreactivity. Bcl-2 expression was observed in all cases and the most intense staining was seen in insular areas. All the cases were diploid. We suggest that bcl-2 plays a role in loss of differentiation of thyroid carcinomas.

[The factors affecting morbidity and mortality in surgical treatment of severe necrotizing pancreatitis]. / Nekrotizan pankreatit'in cerrahi tedavisinde morbidite ve mortaliteyi etkileyen faktörler.

Necrotizing pancreatitis is the most severe form of acute pancreatitis with high morbidity and mortality rates. In this retrospective study we report our experience with 22 patients (17 men, 5 women with a mean age of 52.714) who were operated on at Akdeniz University School of Medicine Department of General Surgery, from February 1993 to July 2000 and define the factors affecting the morbidity and mortality in surgical treatment of NP. Diagnosis of NP and decision of laparotomy was performed by clinical findings and contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT). The patients with pancreatic and peripancreatic necrosis confirmed intraoperatively included to the study. All patients had required intensive care therapy. The relationship between mortality/morbidity and with demographic and clinical data of patients, APACHE II score, presence of multiple organ dysfunction (MOD), and local-regional complications (LRC) was examined. The Fischer Chi-Square test was used to evaluate statistical significance and p < 0.05 was accepted as meaningful. The mean number of reoperations were 4.44.9 (1 to 23). Local-regional complications were observed in 17 (77%) patients and mostly consisted of intra-abdominal abscess (15 patients). The overall hospital mortality rate was 36% (8 of 22 patients died). In the 7 patients with low APACHE-II score on admission (< or = 10) no mortality was encountered. Eight of 15 patients with high APACHE-II score (> 10) on admission were died. Multiple-organ dysfunction developed in 7 (32%) patients and 6 (86%) of them died. Two of the 15 patients (13%) died without MOD. In conclusion, poor outcome was associated with high APACHE-II score (> 10) on admission (p = 0.02), and progression of MOD (p = 0.002) during the treatment. Local-regional complications increase the hospital stay and frequency of surgical interventions but these complications do not effect the mortality in negative manner in the surgical treatment of NP.

A gastroschisis-like abdominal wall defect in the left hypochondrium. Case report and literature review.

Congenital abdominal wall defects are exceedingly rare on the left side. The presented patient had an upper abdominal wall defect located just lateral to the left rectus muscle. Additionally, upper parts of the abdominal flat muscles were defective on that side. Because no report was found in the literature about the defect described here, both its terminological and embryological backgrounds are discussed.