Auditory Brainstem Response in a Child with Mitochondrial Disorder-Leigh Syndrome.

The mitochondrial disorder-Leigh syndrome is a neurodegenerative disorder often manifested with brainstem abnormalities. The case report highlights the auditory brainstem response in a child with medical findings suggestive of Leigh syndrome. The case report also emphasizes the importance of ruling out any underlying neural pathology before making a clinical impression in children with developmental delays.

Evaluation of the frequency and characteristics of hypercementosis in the turkish population with cone-beam computed tomography.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of hypercementosis in the Turkish population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective study was performed using CBCT (I-CAT Vision TM Imaging Science International) in 1263 patients admitted to the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Dicle (Diyarbakir, Turkey) between January 2013 and January 2015. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 1152 patient and 29,606 teeth were evaluated with CBCT. The age, gender, location (left vs. right side, maxillary vs. mandibular teeth, incisors, premolars, and molars), and missing teeth were recorded for all patients. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The Pearson Chi-squared test was used to determine the potential differences. RESULTS: Hypercementosis was observed with a frequency of 2.4%. Of these, 18 of 28 (64.3%) had only 1 tooth with hypercementosis and 10 (35.7%) had more than 1 tooth. It was identified in 42 of the 29,606 teeth examined (0.14%). The lesion was found in 2.47% (n = 14) of females and 2.38% (n = 14) of males. The lesion was detected in 28 molars and 14 premolars, but hypercementosis was not detected in incisors. Of the 42 teeth, 12 (28.6%) maxillary and 30 (71.4%) mandibular teeth were associated with hypercementosis. Of the 28 cases, 20 (59.0%) were unilateral and 8 (41.0%) were bilateral. Of the 20 unilateral cases, 12 (69.6%) were on the right and 8 (30.4%) were on the left side. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the prevalence of hypercementosis has been found 2.4% in the Turkish population. Besides, the lesion has been found more in the mandible than the maxilla, in the molars than the premolars and in the unilateral distribution than the bilateral distribution.

Splenectomy results in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: 10 years of experience in Turgut Ozal Medical Center.

The standard treatment for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is corticosteroid therapy. In patients who are refractory to this treatment, splenectomy is the most usual therapy. Between 1993 and 2003, 125 patients were diagnosed with ITP in the Inonu University School of Medicine, Department of Haematology. Twenty-one of these patients who did not respond to steroids, underwent splenectomy. Of these 21 patients, 12 achieved complete and three achieved partial haematological responses, while the remaining six did not respond. Four of these six patients responded to drugs such as azathioprine and danazol, while the others were totally refractory. Only one of our patients showed fatal complications either during or after the surgery. Our results after 10 years experience demonstrate that splenectomy is an effective and safe treatment for ITP patients who are refractory to steroids.

Management of chronic pain in whiplash injury.

We investigated the response of chronic neck and shoulder pain to decompression of the carpal tunnel in 38 patients with whiplash injury. We also determined the plasma levels of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which are inflammatory peptides that sensitise nociceptors. Compared with normal control subjects, the mean concentrations of SP (220 v 28 ng/l; p < 0.0001) and CGRP (400 v 85 ng/l; p < 0.0005) were high in patients with chronic shoulder and neck pain before surgery. After operation their levels fell to normal. There was resolution of neurological symptoms with improvement of pain in 90% of patients. Only two of the 30 with chronic neck and shoulder pain who had been treated conservatively showed improvement when followed up at two years. In spite of having neuropathic pain arising from the median nerve, all these patients had normal electromyographic and nerve-conduction studies. Chronic pain in whiplash injury may be caused by 'atypical' carpal tunnel syndrome and responds favourably to surgery which is indicated in patients with neck, shoulder and arm pain but not in those with mild symptoms in the hand. Previously, the presence of persistent neurological symptoms has been accepted as a sign of a poor outcome after a whiplash injury, but our study suggests that it may be possible to treat chronic pain by carpal tunnel decompression.