The Karaman score: A new diagnostic score for acute appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: The Karaman score is a novel diagnostic scoring system consisting of 6 parameters. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic performance of the Karaman score in comparison with the Alvarado score. METHODS: A total of 200 patients who underwent an appendectomy were enrolled in the study (research registry number: 2290). RESULTS: The cutoff threshold of the Karaman score in distinguishing acute appendicitis from negative appendectomy was ≥9 with 84.3% sensitivity, 64.7% specificity, 92.1% positive predictive value (PPV), and 45.8% negative predictive value (NPV). The cutoff threshold of the Alvarado score in distinguishing acute appendicitis from negative appendectomy was ≥8 with 72.9% sensitivity, 70.6% specificity, 92.4% PPV, and 34.8% NPV. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, an Alvarado ≥8 score (Odds ratio [OR]:6.644, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.854-15.466; p<0.001) and a Karaman ≥9 score (OR:10.374, 95% CI: 4.383-24.558; p<0.001) were each individually predictive in distinguishing acute appendicitis from negative appendectomy when correction was made according to age and gender. However, when both scores were evaluated together, the Alvarado score ≥8 lost its efficacy (OR:1.838, 95% CI: 0.517-6.530; p=0.347), whereas the Karaman score ≥9 retained its predictive power (OR:6.586, 95% CI: 1.893-22.917; p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The Karaman score was more predictive than the Alvarado score in distinguishing acute appendicitis from a negative appendectomy.

Topical Steroids Are Effective in the Treatment of Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a rare, benign, and chronic disease of the breast. Despite the various treatment approaches described for this disease, a gold standard treatment modality has not yet been defined. In this study, the effect of topical steroids was reviewed and assessed in patients with IGM. METHODS: The records of patients with IGM who were treated only with topical steroids were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were grouped as "completely healed," "inadequately healed," "stable," "worsened," or "recurred" if they had once healed but their symptoms returned. Patients whose skin changes were completely ameliorated were considered "completely healed." RESULTS: All of the patients were women, and the average patient age was 35.7 years (range 24-48 years). During the average follow-up of 37.2 months (range 12-72 months) in patients who received only topical steroid treatment, recurrence was observed in three patients (3/28, 10.7 %), and no side effects or steroid-related complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Topical steroids seem to be effective in the treatment of IGM characterized by skin changes. Prospective clinical studies would be useful in determining the clinical efficacy of topical steroids in the treatment of IGM.

Rare etiology of mechanical intestinal obstruction: Abdominal cocoon syndrome.

Abdominal cocoon syndrome is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction with unknown etiology. Diagnosis of this syndrome, which can be summarized as the small intestine being surrounded by a fibrous capsule not containing the mesothelium, is difficult in the preoperative period. A 47-year-old male patient was referred to the emergency department with complaints of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for two days. The abdominal computed tomography examination detected dilated small intestinal loops containing air-fluid levels clustered in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen and surrounded by a thick, saclike, contrast-enhanced membrane. During exploratory surgery, a capsular structure was identified in the upper left quadrant with a regular surface that was solid-fibrous in nature. Abdominal cocoon syndrome is a rarely seen condition, for which the preoperative diagnosis is difficult. The combination of physical examination and radiological signs, and the knowledge of "recurrent characteristics of the complaints" that can be learned by a careful history, may be helpful in diagnosis.

Mean platelet volume as a potential prognostic marker in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia-retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated prognostic parameters of patients who underwent surgical intervention for acute mesenteric ischemia by evaluating demographic characteristics and laboratory data on admission. METHODS: The hospital records of 30 patients who underwent surgical interventions due to acute mesenteric ischemia between January 2008 and December 2012, were reviewed retrospectively. The records were investigated with regard to demographic data, the presence of co-morbid diseases, presenting complaints, time elapsed between symptom onset and hospital admission, laboratory findings at admission, findings at surgical exploration, surgical methods used, and treatment outcomes. The patients were divided into two groups, according to death (Group 1) or survival (Group 2), and the two groups were compared in terms of the specified parameters. RESULTS: Of the patients, 15 were male (50%) and 15 female (50%); their mean age was 71.4 (29-94) years. Abdominal pain was the chief complaint in all patients (100%) and mean time from pain onset to hospital admission was 21 (1-72) h. In abdominal exploration, total small bowel (SB) ischemia and necrosis was found in 6 (20%) patients and other patients had subtotal SB, segmental SB, segmental SB with colon, or isolated colon ischemia. Treatment in 15 patients (50%) ended in mortality. Mean age (p = 0.038), urea (p = 0.002), AST (p < 0.001), ALT (p < 0.001), mean platelet volume (MPV; p = 0.002), and amylase (p = 0.022) levels in Group 1 were significantly higher versus Group 2, whereas Ca (p = 0.024) and albumin (p = 0.002) levels were significantly lower. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, unlike other parameters that have been shown to be of prognostic significance in mesenteric ischemia, MPV values at presentation were higher among non-survivors than survivors.