Bahar Kurt

Paranasal computed tomography results in asthma patients: association between sinus sites and allergen types.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common comorbidity of asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between the presence of rhinosinusitis, sinus site involvement, and total computed tomography (CT) sinus scores and the presence of allergy, allergen type, and severity of disease. Asthma patients (128 subjects), consisting of 57 allergic and 71 nonallergic patients, were included in the study. Presence of rhinosinusitis and sinus scores were evaluated by CT. CRS was determined in 45 (78.9%) allergic asthma patients and 44 (62.0%) nonallergic asthma patients (p<0.05). Ethmoid sinus involvement was higher among allergic asthma patients compared with nonallergic patients (68.4% versus 43.7%; p=0.005). House-dust mite allergy (71.4% versus 46.5%; p=0.008) and pollen allergy (73.5% versus 47.9%; p=0.01) showed positive correlations with ethmoid sinus involvement. No correlation was found between severity of disease and mean total CT sinus scores (p>0.05). The present study has shown the prevalence of chronic sinusitis to be higher in patients with allergic asthma, particularly in patients allergic to house-dust mites and pollens, with no correlation between severity of disease and presence of CRS. Investigating chronic sinusitis together with allergen sensitivity early in asthma diagnosis may contribute positively to patient treatment.

The diagnostic role of capnography in pulmonary embolism.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic contribution of alveolar dead space fraction (AVDSf) measured using capnography in patients admitted with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). A total of 58 patients who were admitted to our hospital with suspected PE between October 2006 and January 2008 were included in this study. All patients were assessed using the Wells clinical score, capnography, computed tomographic pulmonary angiography, D-dimer measurement, lower-extremity venous Doppler ultrasonography, and V/Q scintigraphy. Forty patients (69%) had PE based on computed tomographic pulmonary angiography findings. The AVDSf value with the highest sensitivity and specificity, which was at the same time statistically significant, was 0.09. This value was consistent with the AVDSf value obtained using receiver operating characteristic analysis. In our study, the sensitivity of capnography was 70%, with a specificity of 61.1%, positive predictive value of 80%, and negative predictive value of 47.8%. The use of AVDSf in combination with any of the several scoring systems that evaluate clinical likelihood of PE and D-dimer levels resulted in higher sensitivity and specificity rates for the diagnosis of PE.

Prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases among schoolchildren in Bolu, Turkey

Aim: In this study we aimed to detect the prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases in children aged between 7 and 14 years old at rural and urban areas of Bolu, Turkey.

Silicosis in Manufacture of Electric Cable: Report of Four Cases

Free silica (silicon dioxide) is naturally found in amorphous and crystalline forms in many rocks in the Earth . Inhaled silicon dioxide is usually crystalline and most often quartz which is the most important form. Silicosis is an irreversible disease 3) that results from workrelated exposures to dusts containing silica crystals, and is characterized by fibrotic tissue reaction caused by the presence of silica in the lungs . Crystalline silica exposure and silicosis have been associated with work in mining, quarrying, tunneling, sandblasting, masonry, foundry work, glass manufacture, ceramic and pottery production, cement and concrete production, and work with certain materials in dental laboratories. The diagnosis of silicosis is based on history of exposure to silica dust and multiple, bilateral pulmonary nodules and large opacities on chest radiography . Several studies have demonstrated that high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is superior to conventional radiography for detection of silicotic lesions, confluence of nodules, and presence of emphysema . Most pneumoconiosis evolves slowly and changes in radiological findings take a long time, usually years, to occur. However, in rare instances, such as acute silicosis associated with exposure to a very large quantity of very fine silicaceous dust, radiological changes can show up within months . We present clinical and radiological findings of four cases working in the same department producing ‘silicone paste’ by mixing quartz dust (a synonym for silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), sil ica or sil icon) with sil icone (polysiloxane ([R 2 SiO] n , a class-name for various synthetic plastic substances made of silicon, oxygen, carbon, germanium, and hydrogen), in an electric cable factory, for 5 to 8 yr. Up to now, this branch of industry has not been reported in the English literature as a cause of silicosis.