Isokinetic evaluation of the trunk muscle strength in housewives with fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: It is known that physical activity and muscular performance are reduced in fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome. This study aims to compare the performance of trunk muscles in women with FM and healthy controls and evaluate the correlation between trunk muscle strength and FM severity. METHODS: Forty-six patients with FM and 42 age- and body mass index-matched healthy housewives without FM were included in the FM and control groups, respectively. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was used for the assessment of FM severity. The pain intensity was evaluated using the visual analogical scale (VAS). An isokinetic dynamometer was used to measure the isokinetic trunk muscle strength. The peak torque (PT) values were recorded. The psychological status of the patients was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in terms of age, BMI, and BDI scores in two groups (p > 0.05, for all). The isokinetic trunk extensor PT values were significantly lower in the FM group (p = 0.002 for 60°/s, and p < 0.001 for 90°/s and 120°/s) than control group. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between FIQ score and isokinetic extensor muscle parameters. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that trunk extensor muscles were significantly weaker in FM patients. Trunk extensor muscle strength decreased as FM severity increased in FM patients.

Chemotherapy and Radiation Induced Pulmonary Dysfunction in Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients.

Although the deterioration in pulmonary functions is a well-known important problem due to the treatment of the Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, the immediate and long term effects of the therapy and its distinctive components were not shown clearly yet. We planned to investigate effects of multiple agent chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy to pulmonary functions immediately and thereafter and the possible effects of the managing this situation. 34 patients were included the study. The patients were evaluated for peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced expiratory vital capacity (FVC), mean total lung capacity (TLC) values, FEV1/FVC ratio, diffusing capacity for carbonmonoxide (DLco), diffusing capacity for carbonmonoxide corrected for hemoglobin concentration (DLCO) before and at 1, 6 and 12 months after the initiation of the treatment. Demographic characteristics; disease stages; chemotherapy protocols; whether radiotherapy is received; if yes, the region and the dose received were recorded. The tests were finally analysed in two separated groups; group A treated with only chemotherapy and group B; treated with combination therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In group A, FVC and FEV1 is similar before and after treatment. FEV1/FVC ratio was increased (P = 0.0001) in this group despite increasing in mean TLC values (P = 0.001). No meaningful changes were observed in PEF and DLCO values in group A. In group B, FVC, FEV1 and PEF were decreased after treatment (for FVC P = 0.028, for FEV1 P = 0.04). Despite a decrease in first month of the treatment in FEV1/FVC ratio and DLco these two parameters were recovered at the end of the first year in group B patients. TLC values were increased after treatment in group B as in group A (P = 0.035). We believe that, if these patients are managed well in 1 year; necessary precautions are provided; and patients are well-informed, then there wouldn't be too much risk and mortality rate for long-term side effects of ABVD and mediastinal RT.

The High Effect of Chemomobilization with High-Dose Etopside + Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor in Autologous Hematopoietic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation: A Single Center Experience.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) provides hematopoietic support after high-dose chemotherapy and is the standard of care for patients with multiple myeloma (MM), chemo sensitive relapsed high or intermediate grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). However, yields of hematopoietic stem cells vary greatly between patients, and the optimal strategy to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells into peripheral blood for collection has not been defined yet. We investigated the efficacy and safety of chemo mobilization with an intermediate dose etoposide (VP-16; 200 mg/m(2) on days 1-3) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)(5 µg/kg twice daily from day 4 through the final day of collection). We reviewed our institutional experience with 91 patients (71 MM, 12 HL, 8 NHL) mobilized with this regimen. VP-16 + G-CSF resulted in successful mobilization in 95.55% of the patients (on one patient stem cell collection with plerixafor was applied), including 76 patients (83.52%) whose stem cells were collected successfully in a single day. Collection was managed between min. D8 and max. D17. Patient age, gender, exposure to previous irradiation and chemotherapy, previous mobilization attempts, and disease characteristics were not considered during selection. Adverse effects of the regimen included supportive transfusions and fevers requiring hospitalization or intravenous antibiotics. VP-16 and G-CSF appears to be a safe and effective mobilization regimen for patients with multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation, producing excellent stem cell yield with the majority of patients requiring 1 day of apheresis.

A rare association: Castleman's disease and pemphigus vulgaris.

Castleman disease is a reactive lymph node hyperplasia of unknown origin that often involving the thorax although it may involve all parts of the body. It is usually seen in young adults and presents an asymptomatic course. It is usually located to anterior and middle mediastinum. Pemphigus vulgaris is a bullous skin disease in which immune mechanisms take place in the pathogenesis. Mouth and oropharynx are the most commonly involved structures. IgG antibodies against the epidermal intracellular structures are essential in the diagnosis. We have wanted to discuss a 28 years old female with the literature review since the association between pemphigus vulgaris and Castleman's disease is rare.

Pulmonary glomus tumour: a case initially diagnosed as carcinoid tumour.

Pulmonary glomus tumours are rare lesions, with few cases reported previously. Herein, we present the clinical and pathological features of a case of pulmonary glomus tumour. A 29-year-old female patient presented to our clinic complaining of cough, dyspnoea and left-sided chest pain. Computed tomography (CT) of the thorax revealed a nodular lesion causing obstruction of the left main bronchus. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy demonstrated a polypoid mass occluding the left main bronchus 10 mm distal to the main carina. Bronchoscopic biopsy was interpreted histologically as carcinoid tumour. Bronchotomy plus mass extirpation was performed with left thoracotomy. Microscopically, a tumoral structure composed of uniform cells with a round centrally located nucleolus and narrow eosinophilic cytoplasm was seen. Thin-walled vessels lined with endothelium were interspersed between tumoral structures. The cells were stained chromogranin and cytokeratin negative and strongly vimentin positive. The pathological diagnosis for the thoracotomy specimen was pulmonary glomus tumour. Follow-up chest CT was negative for recurrent tumour and the patient remains free of disease 17 months after surgery.