Headache Characteristics of Patients with COVID-19 in Turkey: Is COVID-19 Infection a Trigger for Migraine Headache?

Introduction: Headache is a common symptom in patients with Coronavirus-19 infection (COVID-19). In this research, we aim to assess the frequency, characteristics, and response to treatment of headache in patients with COVID-19 and its correlation with psychosocial features in Turkey. Methods: To describe the clinical features of headache in COVID-19 positive individuals. Patients were evaluated and followed up with face-to-face visits in a tertiary hospital during the pandemic period. Results: One hundred and seventeen of 150 patients (78%) had a headache diagnosed before and during the pandemic, 62 of 150 (41.3%) had a new type of headache. No significant differences were observed in terms of demographics, Beck Depression Score, Beck Anxiety Score, and quality of life scales (QOLS) between patients with and without headache (p>0.05). The most common triggering factor for headache was stress and fatigue in 59% (n=69), while the second most common (32.4%, n=38) was COVID-19 infection. 46.5% of the patients reported that the severity and frequency of their current headaches increased after the COVID-19 infection. Among new-onset headaches, the social functionality and pain score subgroups of the QOLS form were significantly lower in housewives and unemployed patients compared to the working group (p=0.018; p=0.039 respectively). Twelve of 117 patients had a mild to moderate, throbbing headache in the temporoparietal region, which did not fulfill the International Classification of Headache Disorders diagnosis criteria, but showed as a common feature among COVID-19 patients. Nineteen of 62 patients (30.9%) had a newly diagnosed migraine syndrome. Conclusion: The diagnosis incidence of migraine in patients with COVID-19 disease being more than other headaches types may suggest the existence of a common pathway in possible immune mechanisms.

Development of skin aging scale by using dermoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Some features of skin aging that cannot be detected by the naked eye can be determined more easily by dermoscopy. Therefore, we aimed to measure skin aging with dermoscopy. METHODS: The study was performed in Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, a tertiary care referral center. A total of 441 participants between the ages of 20-88 (mean 48.4 ± 17.7) were separated into six groups according to their age. All participant's facial sun-exposed areas were examined by dermoscopy in terms of telangiectasia, vascular changes, pigmentation changes, seborrheic keratosis, actinic keratosis, periorbital comedones and cysts, superficial- deep- criss-cross wrinkles as the signs of photoaging and scored with the help of dermoscopic photoaging scale (DPAS). The validity of the scale was assessed with DPAS by the evaluation of both the axillar and the gluteal regions, that were not sun exposed and photoaged, with DPAS. RESULTS: The scale was found to be highly reliable as Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.756. Skin aging of patients from every decade was compared clinically with Glogou photoaging scale and Monheit-Fulton photoaging index and significant correlation was calculated as 0.773 and 0.774, respectively. An increase in photoaging scores from young people toward elders according to their ages was observed and the same linear difference between their mean values was detected. CONCLUSION: DPAS is a reliable and valid diagnostic tool that can evaluate photoaged skin quantitatively by the help of objective criteria so can be used to evaluate the effect of preventive and therapeutic applications for skin aging.

Unchanged serum adipokine concentrations in the setting of short-term thyroidectomy-induced hypothyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate short-term effects of thyroidectomy-induced hypothyroidism on leptin, adiponectin, and resistin concentrations in association with anthropometric data. METHODS: Thirty premenopausal women with euthyroid nodular goiter-mean age, 44.0 ± 11.6 years; mean body mass index (BMI), 28.6 ± 5.9 kg/m2; 13 obese, 7 overweight, and 10 normal weight subjects-scheduled for total thyroidectomy were included in the study. Serum leptin, adiponectin, resistin, free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, glucose, insulin, and C-reactive protein concentrations, lipid profile, and anthropometric variables were determined in the euthyroid state (preoperatively) and the hypothyroid state (postoperatively, with a thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration >30 mIU/L). RESULTS: Body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences, body fat mass, and serum lipid concentrations increased significantly after thyroidectomy. No significant difference was found between preoperative and postoperative serum leptin, adiponectin, and resistin concentrations. Fat tissue mass-corrected leptin, adiponectin, and resistin concentrations did not differ significantly between euthyroid and hypothyroid periods. Thyroid hormone concentrations showed no significant correlations with adipokine levels. CONCLUSION: Serum adipokine concentrations seem not to change significantly during short-term thyroidectomy-induced hypothyroidism despite significant increases in body weight, BMI, fat mass, and lipid concentrations.

The prevalence of hypertension, valve calcification and left ventricular hypertrophy and geometry in peritoneal dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cardiac valve calcification (CVC) and left ventricular (LV) abnormalities are common indicators of a poor prognosis in dialysis patients. We determined the prevalence of hypertension, CVC, LV hypertrophy (LVH) and LV geometry in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. METHODS: Eighty-seven patients (50 female; mean age 42 ± 13 years; mean dialysis duration 46 ± 24 months) on strict salt and volume restriction, none of whom were receiving antihypertensives, were included in the study. Blood pressure (BP), biochemical parameters, CVC, LVH and LV geometry were determined. RESULTS: Most patients were normotensive. CVC of the mitral and aortic valves and of both valves were noted in 22, 23 and 15% of patients, respectively. Patients with CVC had significantly higher diastolic BP (p = 0.023), cardiothoracic index (CTI; p = 0.037) and LV mass index (LVMI; p = 0.002). LVH, noted overall in 44% of cases, was present in 62 and 36% of the patients with and without CVC, respectively (p = 0.028). Of the whole group, only 50.6% had normal LV geometry. LVH was associated with lower serum albumin (p = 0.002), higher CTI (p = 0.027) and more frequent CVC (p = 0.028). LVMI was greater in patients with CVC (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Strict salt restriction and the achievement of ideal dry weight result in normotension in PD patients. CVC is associated with LVH, both of which are lower in normotensive patients.