Turan Aktaş

The evaluation of abdominal findings in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

ObjectiveCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a widely seen, fatal disease and is endemic to some countries. It affects many organs in the abdomen. Comprehensive radiological study of CCHF is quite rare. This study will use multiple detector computed tomography (MDCT) to investigate if there is a relationship between clinical laboratory measurements and abdominal findings in CCHF and discuss our findings in the light of the literature.Materials and methodsWe retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 443 patients diagnosed with CCHF in our hospital between April 1, 2008 and September 30, 2014. Fifty-one patients had undergone abdominal MDCT examination.ResultsThe most common findings seen in abdominal MDCT were intra-abdominal free fluid and hepatomegaly. Gallbladder wall thickening, heterogeneity in mesenteric, omental fatty tissue, and splenomegaly were other common findings. Subcutaneous fat tissue edema, intramuscular hemorrhage, duodenal wall thickening, colon wall thickening, pancreatitis, and acute renal failure were among the rare findings seen in abdominal MDCT. Comparison of these findings to the clinical laboratory parameters showed a strong relationship between intra-abdominal free fluid and platelet count.ConclusionOur study is the first comprehensive study on abdominal MDCT findings of CCHF. We detected a strong relationship between patients’ platelet count and abdominal free liquid. Therefore, it should be kept in mind that abdominal free fluid can be among clinical manifestations in patients with platelet counts ≤50000 and that this manifestation can become aggravated.

Tracheobroncopathia osteochondroplastica: Three case reports with literature review

Tracheobroncopathia osteochondroplastica (TO) is a benign disease of the large airways seen very rarely. It is characterized by 1-3 mm sized ossified nodular lesions in submucosa. Its etiology is unclear, but it is stated that malignancy, chronic inflammation, amyloidosis, and genetic factors might have an effect on it. It was first described by Wilks in a 38-year-old man diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1857. Generally, patients are asymptomatic and TO is diagnosed incidentally. But symptoms become significant with infections and obstruction in tracheabronchial tree. Generally chest radiography is normal, so thorax computed tomography can be remarkable in diagnosis of TO. Besides, final diagnosis can be established by viewing ossified nodules in trachea and bronchus through the fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Amyloidosis, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, bronchial carcinoma, and tracheobronchial calcinosis must be remembered in differential diagnosis. Also ossifications in submucosa and proof of bone marrow in histopathological examinations are important in diagnosis of TO. Mostly palliative treatment is performed to the symptoms . We want the clinicians to keep in mind for this very rarely seen tracheal disease with three case reports.

Evaluation of morphological changes in pharynx with dynamic CT and MRI in snoring patients

BACKGROUND Identifying the craniofacial abnormalities that cause snoring and the narrowest area of the upper airway creating obstructions can help to determine the proper method of treatment. AIM To identify the factors that can cause snoring and the areas of the airway that are the most likely to collapse with upper airway imaging. MATERIAL AND METHODS Axial pharynx examinations with CT (computerized tomography) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed to 38 patients complaining of snoring and 12 patients who did not complain of snoring. The narrowest areas of nasopharynx, hypophraynx, oropharynx, bilateral para-pharyngeal fat pad and para-pharyngeal muscle thickness were measured. RESULTS In snoring patients, the narrowest part of the upper airway was the retro-palatal region in the oropharynx, as measured with both imaging methods. When patients with and without snoring were compared, the former that a higher body mass index and neck diameter and a narrower oropharynx area. In dynamic examinations, we determined that as para-pharyngeal muscle thickness increased, medial-lateral airway diameter and the oropharynx area decreased. CONCLUSIONS The narrowest section of the airway is the retro-palatal region of the oropharynx, measured both with CT and MRI.

Uyku Apne Sendromlu Hastalarda Otonomik Fonksiyonların Değerlendirilmesi

Aim Obstructive sleep apnea is a highly prevalent disease, affecting 4% of adult in western countries. Heart rate variability is decreased in obstructive sleep apnea patients, and it is associated with poor cardiovascular outcome. We aimed to evaluate autonomic function in obstructive sleep apnea patients with heart rate variability. Material and Method We selected 30 obstructive sleep apnea patients without comorbidity and 30 healthy individual. All patients underwent 24 hours holter monitoring to assess heart rate variability. Results Age and gender were not different in two groups. Body mass index was higher in obstructive sleep apnea patients compared to the control group (36.43±6.8 and 27.21±36.4, p=0.001 respectively). SDNN was lower in obstructive sleep apnea patients than the control group (128.73±31.27 and 144.80±37.74, p=0.021 respectively). LF and LF/HF value were higher in patients with obstructive sleep apnea compared to those with control (680.76±319.47 vs. 524.87±348.78, p=0.02 and 4.745±2.16 vs. 2.9583±1.79, p=0.001 respectively). HF was lower in obstructive sleep apnea patients compared to control group (238.00±96.07 and 167.57±75.09, p=0.007 respectively). Conclusion We detected reduced heart rate variability and impaired balance between sympathetic-parasympathetic systems in OSAS patients. OSAS patients should be closely followed for developing arrhythmias.