Mutlu Niyazoglu

Acromegaly and aging: A comparative cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE Cognitive and functional geriatric assessment may change in acromegaly. Herein we aimed to determine at which points geriatric assessment of the cases with acromegaly differs from that of general elderly population. DESIGN In this comparative cross-sectional study, a total of 30 cases with acromegaly (controlled n = 14, uncontrolled n = 16) and 30 gender and body-mass index-matched cases without acromegaly (control group, CG) above 60 years old were included. Cognitive functions were evaluated on the basis of the mini-mental state exam (MMSE). Affective status was determined using the geriatric depression scale. Activities of daily living (ADL) were ranked according to the Barthel index while instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were graded on the basis of the Lawton scale. Nutritional status was evaluated using the mini-nutritional assessment (MNA). Body composition was measured through bioimpedance analysis. Functional mobility was determined using the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and muscle strength with the handgrip strength test. RESULTS Scores on the MMSE were significantly lower in the elderly cases with acromegaly than in the cases without acromegaly (p < 0.001). Dementia was more frequent in the acromegaly group than in the CG (p = 0.04). Total MNA scores were significantly lower in cases with acromegaly than in the CG (p = 0.006). More subjects in the acromegaly group (33%) were at greater risk of malnutrition than in the CG (3%) (p = 0.003). There was greater moderate functional impairment based on Barthel ADL in the acromegaly group than in the CG (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION Acromegaly may impair cognitive functions, functional mobility and instrumental daily living activities in the geriatric population. With acromegaly, the risk of malnutrition may also increase.

A rare case of solitary subcutaneous scalp metastasis from follicular thyroid carcinoma revealed with positron emission tomography/computed tomography: A case report and review

Differentiated thyroid cancer frequently metastasizes to regional cervical lymph nodes and in advanced cases metastases can be seen in the lungs and skeleton. Metastases to the skin or subcutaneous tissue are rare. Here we present a 49-year-old female patient with solitary scalp metastasis from follicular thyroid carcinoma FTC which was revealed with positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. PET showed flourodeoxiglucose avid lesion in the left vertex scalp. Scalp lesion was removed totally and histopathological examination revealed well-differentiated thyroid cancer metastasis.

Iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome with inhaled steroid plus antidepressant drugs

Current guidelines recommend the use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for suppression of airway inflammation in patients with asthma. Although it is well known that ICS cause dose-related adrenocortical suppression, it is less known that they can lead to iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome (CS). Fluticasone propionate (FP) is an ICS more potent than beclomethasone and budesonide. FP is metabolized as mediated by cytochrome P450 3A4 in the liver and the gut. Systemic bioactivity of FP can increase with the use of drugs that affect the cytochrome P450. Herein, we report the rapid development of iatrogenic CS in a patient receiving paroxetine and mirtazepine for 12 weeks in addition to inhaled FP.

Association of three SNPs in the PARP-1 gene with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) has a vital role in the progression of the inflammatory response, and its inhibition confers protection in various models of inflammatory disorders. Therefore, we investigated the effect of promoter and exon variations of the PARP-1 gene on the risk for the inflammatory disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT). This case–control association study was comprised of 141 HT patients and 150 controls from a group of women in a Turkish population. Two polymorphisms in the promoter region of the PARP-1 gene, rs2793378 and rs7527192, were analyzed using the PCR-RFLP method. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1136410, which is located at codon 762, was analyzed using bidirectional sequencing. The combined genotype and haplotype analyses of these polymorphisms were performed using SPSS 18 and Haploview 4.2. The results were statistically analyzed by calculating the odds ratios and 95% confidence interval using Pearson’s χ2-test and Fisher’s exact test (two-sided). Although we had a number of significant results, the associations became nonsignificant following a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Nonetheless, a protective factor against HT was still observed for the heterozygous genotype (TC) of SNP rs1136410 (P=0.001), even following Bonferroni correction, and according to the rs2793378–rs7527192 combined analysis, the occurrence of the TT/GA combined genotype was significantly higher in the controls (P=0.007). These results prove that the heterozygosity of SNP rs1136410 provides a protective effect against HT disease in a group of women in a Turkish population.

Physical and cardiovascular performance in cases with acromegaly after regular short-term exercise

Impaired physical performance is a disturbing complication of acromegaly. We aimed to evaluate the role of regular exercise in amelioration of the impaired physical performance in acromegaly.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment of elderly cases with acromegaly

1 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Cerrahpasa Medical School, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey 2 Division of Geriatry, Department of Internal Medicine, Cerrahpasa Medical School, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey 3 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine,Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey