Seyfettin Ilgan

Comparison of sequential and standard triple-drug regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication: a 14-day, open-label, randomized, prospective, parallel-arm study in adult patients with nonulcer dyspepsia.

BACKGROUND The eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori with standard treatments are decreasing worldwide. OBJECTIVES The primary aim of this study was to compare the eradication success of a 14-day sequential regimen with proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple treatment. The secondary objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of gastritis score and smoking on eradication rates as well as evaluation of compliance and tolerability of both regimens. METHODS Consecutive H pylori-positive patients with nonulcer dyspepsia were randomized into 1 of 2 groups in this 14-day, open-label, randomized, prospective, parallel-arm study. An upper endoscopy with biopsy and (14)C-urea breath test ((14)C-UBT) were performed before enrollment. The first group was administered a sequential regimen consisting of pantoprazole 40 mg and amoxicillin 1 g for 7 days, followed by pantoprazole 40 mg, tetracycline 500 mg, and metronidazole 500 mg for the next 7 days. The second group was administered pantoprazole 40 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, and clarithromycin 500 mg (PAC group) for 14 days. All drugs were administered BID, with the exception of tetracycline, which was administered QID. Eradication was confirmed by (14)C-UBT 6 weeks after the end of the treatment. Histologic examination and (14)C-UBT were conducted by investigators blinded to the protocols. Patients were asked to report any adverse events (AEs) during the treatment period. RESULTS Three hundred white patients were enrolled in the study and evenly randomized into the sequential treatment group (98 males and 52 females; mean age, 40.2 years) and the PAC group (86 males and 64 females; mean age, 41.2 years). A total of 274 patients completed the study per protocol (PP). Twenty-six patients discontinued: lost to follow-up (16), withdrawn due to AEs (9); and noncompliance (1). The intent-to-treat (ITT) and PP H pylori eradication rates were 72.6% and 80.1% in the sequential group, and 58% and 63% in the PAC group, respectively. The eradication rate was significantly higher in the sequential group compared with the PAC group in both the ITT and PP populations (P=0.01 and P=0.002, respectively). The eradication rates were higher in nonsmoking patients compared with smoking patients both in the sequential group (85.8% vs 70.5%) and the PAC group (67.7% vs 53.3%), but the results were not statistically significant when the groups were analyzed separately. Overall, 32 patients (10.7%) reported an AE. Treatment was discontinued in 9 patients because of serious AEs (sequential group--abdominal pain [2 patients], diarrhea [1], chest pain [1], and vaginal pruritus [1]; PAC group--nausea/vomiting [2], chest pain [1], and numbness [1]). There were no significant between-group differences in regard to compliance or AEs. Univariate analyses found no significant effect of sex, age, alcohol consumption, antacid usage, or gastritis score on the eradication rates. CONCLUSIONS A 14-day sequential treatment regimen achieved a significantly higher eradication rate of H pylori compared with standard PPI-based triple regimen in this small selected population. Large, double-blind, controlled studies are needed to confirm these results.

Post-surgical ablation of thyroid remnants with high-dose 131I in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma

The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of an empirically determined ‘fixed’ high ablative dose of radioiodine (131I) therapy and to determine the utility of ultrasonography (US) in dose determination. A retrospective analysis was performed of 242 thyroid cancer cases treated with ‘fixed’ high-dose 131I for ablation of thyroid remnants without a pre-ablative 131I diagnostic scintigraphy or radioiodine uptake study. Treatment doses ranged from 1850 MBq (50 mCi) to 7.4 GBq (200 mCi). The selection of the treatment dose was based on the surgical and pathological findings as well as the remnant thyroid volume calculated by US. A successful ablation was defined as the absence of activity in the thyroid bed on subsequent imaging studies. Successful ablation was obtained in 218 of the 242 patients (90%). In 162 of the 218 patients (74.3%), successful ablation was achieved after a single 131I treatment. The remnant thyroid volume calculated by US was significantly different (P = 0.04) between those who were successfully ablated and those who were not. The total 131I dose needed for successful ablation was significantly higher in males (P = 0.003). Patients with higher post-operative thyroglobulin (Tgb) levels and patients with a higher stage of disease required higher doses (P = 0.036 and P = 0.021 respectively). Serum Tgb levels were under 10 ng·ml−1 in 220 of the 242 patients (90%) following radioiodine ablation while not receiving L-thyroxine suppression. Nineteen patients (7.8%) showed metastases on post-therapy scan and successful treatment was achieved in 11 of 19 (57.8%). Four of the 19 patients with distant metastases (revealed on post-treatment scan) were found to have been given a treatment dose of less than 200 mCi based on the proposed empirical approach. These results indicate that ‘fixed’ high-dose 131I treatment is clinically feasible with an acceptable dose underestimation rate, and the utilization of US in the determination of the thyroid remnant volume provides more accurate and reproducible results.

The efficacy of bismuth containing quadruple therapy as a first-line treatment option for Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND:  Helicobacter pylori eradication rates have tended to decrease recently, mostly due to increasing antibiotic‐resistance. The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of bismuth‐based quadruple regimen with proton pump inhibitor‐based triple regimen for eradication of H. pylori.

Comparison of In-111 octreotide and Tc-99m (V) DMSA scintigraphy in the detection of medullary thyroid tumor foci in patients with elevated levels of tumor markers after surgery.

Purpose In this retrospective study, the authors evaluated the utility of In-111 octreotide (OctreoScan) and Tc-99m (V) DMSA scintigraphy for the localization of recurrent metastatic tumor foci in patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and compared the findings with those of conventional radiologic imaging methods. Methods The scintigraphic images were compared with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US) in 14 patients (8 men, 6 women; age range, 22 to 74 years) with elevated calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen levels after total thyroidectomy. All scintigraphic image findings were evaluated qualitatively as mild uptake (+) and moderate to marked uptake (++). Results In-111 octreotide may be superior to Tc-99m (V) DMSA for the detection of tumor foci of patients with MTC on a patient basis (78.5% versus 57.1%) and on a lesion basis (44.1% versus 30.2%). The sensitivity rate for In-111 octreotide (78.5%) was also similar to that of CT and MRI on a patient basis. Conversely, the combined use of Tc-99m (V) DMSA and In-111 octreotide revealed the best sensitivity rate (85.7%) on a patient basis, whereas the combined use of CT and MRI showed the best sensitivity rate (81.3%) on a lesion basis. Conclusions These findings suggest that In-111 octreotide is superior to Tc-99m (V) DMSA and has a similar sensitivity rate to CT and MRI for the diagnosis of recurrent or metastatic MTC. Although the combined use of In-111 octreotide and Tc-99m (V) DMSA was most sensitive, the combined use of CT and MRI with radionuclide imaging methods may better detect more metastatic tumor foci.

99Tcm-MIBI scintimammography in the evaluation of breast lesions and axillary involvement : A comparison with mammography and histopathological diagnosis

The aim of this prospective study was to determine the diagnostic value of prone lateral 99Tcm-MIBI scintimammography in the detection of primary breast cancer and axillary lymph node involvement in patients with breast lesions. We evaluated 83 palpable and 22 non-palpable lesions in 77 consecutive patients with a clinically palpable mass and/or suspicious mammographic finding. Early and late scintimammograms were performed after the intravenous injection of 740 MBq 99Tcm-MIBI. The overall sensitivity of both scintimammography and mammography in the detection of primary breast cancer was 94%. The overall specificity was 84% and 56% for scintimammography and mammography respectively. In the patients with palpable masses, the sensitivity of scintimammography was 97% and the specificity was 84%; in those with non-palpable masses, the sensitivity was 35% and the specificity 100%. For the detection of axillary lymph node involvement, the sensitivity and specificity of scintimammography were 68% and 93% respectively. However, conventional mammography showed 37% sensitivity and 86% specificity. In conclusion, scintimammography is an accurate and clinically valuable tool for evaluating palpable and non-palpable breast abnormalities. In addition to its high sensitivity, it improves the specificity of mammography both in the evaluation of breast masses and in the detection of axillary involvement.

Bilateral femoral insuffiency fractures treated with inflatable intramedullary nails: a case report

Stress fractures could be classified as fatigue fractures and insufficiency fractures (IF). Fatigue fractures occur when abnormal mechanical stress is applied to a normal bone, on the other hand insufficiency fractures occur when normal to moderate pressure is applied to a bone that has decreased resistance (Daffner and Pavlov in Am J Radiol 159:242–245, 1992). IF have been observed mainly in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis, and are becoming more common with the increase of elderly population (Daffner and Pavlov in Am J Radiol 159:242–245, 1992). Other systemic and metabolic conditions that can result in osteopenia and IF include osteomalacia, hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, fluoride treatment, diabetes mellitus, fibrous dysplasia, Paget’s disease, irradiation and mechanical factors (Daffner and Pavlov in Am J Radiol 159:242–245, 1992; Soubrier et al. in Joint Bone Spine 70:209–218, 2003; Epps et al. in Am J Orthop 33:457–460, 2004; Austin and Chrissos in Orthopedics 28:795–797, 2005). In this case report, the authors present an osteoporotic woman who developed bilateral insufficiency fracture of the femoral shaft after longstanding steroid, thyroxine replacement and alendronate therapy due to partial empty sella syndrome and osteoporosis, resulting in the treatment of the fracture by inflatable intramedullary nailing.

Utility of ventilation and perfusion scan in the diagnosis of young military recruits with an incidental finding of hyperlucent lung.

Swyer-James-MacLeod syndrome (SJMS) is considered to be a relatively uncommon disease presenting with unilateral hyperlucent lung due to hypoplasia of a pulmonary artery and bronchiectasis of the affected lung. In this report, we describe the ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan findings of nine male recruits (aged 20-29 years, mean 24.4±2.96 years) with SJMS in whom the diagnosis was first established in adulthood. V/Q scan findings of all patients were compared with those on planar radiographs, pulmonary function studies, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). The ventilation (133Xe) and perfusion (99Tcm-macro-aggregated albumin) scans showed the characteristic pattern of a matched V/Q defect and marked air trapping on the washout phase on 133Xe scintigraphy. HRCT displayed hypodense lung with integrity of main airways, and markedly diminished vasculature on the affected side in all patients. A smaller pulmonary artery on the affected side with poor peripheral vasculature was observed with DSA in all patients. All patients had features of obstructive airway disease in varying degrees on pulmonary function studies. In contrast to other imaging methods, bronchiectasis as an etiological factor was displayed on HRCT. Some pulmonary areas, which were normal on HRCT and planar radiographs, showed air trapping on V/Q scan. Although a V/Q scan was more helpful in determining the extent of the disease and correlates well with conventional imaging methods, HRCT was the most valuable imaging method for the evaluation of aetiology in unilateral hyperlucent lung.

Unusual patterns of I-131 contamination

Whole body imaging with radioiodine can detect functioning metastases, which can often be effectively treated with appropriate amounts of radioiodine. Non-physiologic I-131 uptake detected on images is usually interpreted as suggesting functioning thyroid metastases. However, extra-thyroidal I-131 accumulation does not always imply thyroid cancer metastases and has been reported on many occasions, including various non-thyroidal neoplasms, and contamination by body secretions. In order to avoid unnecessary therapeutic interventions it is extremely important to properly distinguish false-positive sites of I-131 localization. Three patients with unusual radioiodine contamination patterns, either presented for the first time or rarely presented in the existing literature, were reported. Reported cases consist of contamination in hair (due to styling hair with sputum), contamination in neck (due to drooling during sleep) and, contaminated chewing gum. False positive contamination sources were clarified by careful examination of patients and further images when necessary.

Incidental detection of granulomatous prostatitis by F-18 FDG PET/CT in a patient with bladder cancer: a rare complication of BCG instillation therapy.

A 62-year-old man with transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder had undergone transurethral resection and adjuvant treatment with several intravesical instillations of bacillus Calmette-Guerin 10 months earlier. The patient was referred for F-18 FDG PET/CT after detection of mediastinal lymphadenopathy on follow-up CT. Beside moderately increased FDG uptake in bilateral hilar and bronchopulmonary lymph nodes, focally intense FDG uptake was detected in the right lobe of the prostate. Histopathologic evaluation revealed granulomatous prostatitis which is a recognized rare complication of intravesical instillation of BCG during the treatment of superficial bladder cancer.

Combination of preoperative ultrasonographic mapping and radioguided occult lesion localization in patients with locally recurrent/persistent papillary thyroid carcinoma: a practical method for central compartment reoperations.

Purpose: To improve the surgical success and reduce the complication rates, we combine our routine preoperative ultrasound (US) mapping technique with radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer recurrences in central compartment. Materials and Methods: In the morning of surgery, biopsy proven recurrent/persistent tumoral lesions were plotted on a sketch and injected with Tc-99m labeled macroaggregated albumin under US guidance. Thyroid bed exploration was carried out based on the location of biopsy proven lesion with the guidance of intraoperative gamma probe and neck map. The lymphoadipose tissues showing high count rates were resected and labeled separately for histopathologic study. Results: Despite extensive scarring in some patients probe safely guided to lesions. Noninjected tumor foci were searched and successfully resected in the light of neck map that showing topographic relation of injected and noninjected lesions. Among total of 41 excised lesions, 28 metastatic foci ranging from 3 to 38 mm in largest diameter were recognized at final histologic examination. Combination of preoperative mapping with ROLL was found helpful by the operating surgeons in all patients, respectively. Except 2 patients with known distant metastases, undetectable thyroglobulin levels were reached 6 weeks after surgery. Conclusions: The use of preoperative US-mapping with ROLL in patients with nonpalpable recurrent/persistent papillary thyroid cancer in central compartment is technically safe and effective method. Combination of techniques provides better information about topographical relations of recurrent/persistent lesions during surgery.