Cancer is a leading cause of millions of deaths worldwide and, despite the improvements in molecular biology, issues concerning how to advance cancer treatment are still relevant. Cancer research must be focused on finding new and efficient chemotherapeutic regimens that can relieve severe side effects caused by conventional treatments. Modern technologies are currently under estimation in clinical trials or have already been introduced into clinical practice. Nowadays cancer therapy is characterized by ineffectiveness and serious side effects, as well as by hope of remission and cure in many cases. Antitumor drugs and radiation have been used as the treatment of choice in some cancer cases, except for the choice of surgery in case of solid tumors. Recently, immunotherapy has emerged as a significant therapeutic alternative, and in many cases, it is the first choice. These therapies can be applied either alone or in combination with other agents. Additionally, gene treatment and nanotechnology are promising methods for cancer treatment as well. The current review presents the progress of cancer treatments, starting with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy, gene treatment and nanomedicine, giving emphasis to the most common anticancer agents and polychemotherapeutic regimens.
{"title":"Anticancer Agent Effect and Polychemotherapy Regimens for Malignant Tumor Treatment - A Review","authors":"N. Chrysanthakopoulos, E. Vryzaki","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.2.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.2.7","url":null,"abstract":"Cancer is a leading cause of millions of deaths worldwide and, despite the improvements in molecular biology, issues concerning how to advance cancer treatment are still relevant. Cancer research must be focused on finding new and efficient chemotherapeutic regimens that can relieve severe side effects caused by conventional treatments. Modern technologies are currently under estimation in clinical trials or have already been introduced into clinical practice. Nowadays cancer therapy is characterized by ineffectiveness and serious side effects, as well as by hope of remission and cure in many cases. Antitumor drugs and radiation have been used as the treatment of choice in some cancer cases, except for the choice of surgery in case of solid tumors. Recently, immunotherapy has emerged as a significant therapeutic alternative, and in many cases, it is the first choice. These therapies can be applied either alone or in combination with other agents. Additionally, gene treatment and nanotechnology are promising methods for cancer treatment as well. The current review presents the progress of cancer treatments, starting with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy, gene treatment and nanomedicine, giving emphasis to the most common anticancer agents and polychemotherapeutic regimens.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48221511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Okoro, O. Bamigbala, A. O. Ojetunde, A. Ibrahim
Background. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis is complex, costly, and usually has poor outcomes. Treatment default is well known as a very significant factor associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the hazard ratios associated with treatment default among tuberculosis patients in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods. The Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine the hazard ratios associated with tuberculosis patient treatment default in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze time-to-event data. The study assessed the survival status and treatment outcomes of tuberculosis patients over a six-month period (January 2019 to June 2019). Data analysis was done using R - Programming Software and the statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. Results. Out of the 197 (124 males and 73 females) tuberculosis patients, 148 (75.1%) individuals were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and 49 (24.9%) individuals were diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The treatment outcomes were as follows: 33 (16.8%) patients were cured; 36 (18.3%) individuals completed their treatment; 3 (1.5%) patients died during treatment; 105 (53.3%) subjects defaulted; 8 (4.1%) patients were lost to follow-up; the remaining 12 (6.1%) individuals were still on treatment at the end of the study. According to the Cox proportional hazards analysis, HIV-positive status (p < 0.05, 95% CI [0.361 - 0.879]), primary education level (p < 0.01, 95% CI [1.248 - 3.354]), poor quality of life (p < 0.01, 95% CI [1.239 - 3.511]) and age over 60 years old (p < 0.05, 95% CI [0.569 - 2.206]) were significant hazard ratios to experience the event (treatment default) in the study area. Conclusions. This study revealed that HIV-positive tuberculosis patients, older patients, patients with primary education, and those with poor quality of life are significant risk factors to experience treatment default in the study area. Therefore, it is recommended that stakeholders managing the treatment and care of tuberculosis patients should be dedicated and intentional in the provision of psychosocial therapy to patients with poor quality of life.
{"title":"Risk Factors Associated with Treatment Default Among Tuberculosis Patients in Adamawa State, Nigeria","authors":"C. Okoro, O. Bamigbala, A. O. Ojetunde, A. Ibrahim","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.2.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.2.1","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis is complex, costly, and usually has poor outcomes. Treatment default is well known as a very significant factor associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis. \u0000The aim of this study was to investigate the hazard ratios associated with treatment default among tuberculosis patients in Adamawa State, Nigeria. \u0000Materials and Methods. The Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine the hazard ratios associated with tuberculosis patient treatment default in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze time-to-event data. The study assessed the survival status and treatment outcomes of tuberculosis patients over a six-month period (January 2019 to June 2019). Data analysis was done using R - Programming Software and the statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. \u0000Results. Out of the 197 (124 males and 73 females) tuberculosis patients, 148 (75.1%) individuals were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and 49 (24.9%) individuals were diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The treatment outcomes were as follows: 33 (16.8%) patients were cured; 36 (18.3%) individuals completed their treatment; 3 (1.5%) patients died during treatment; 105 (53.3%) subjects defaulted; 8 (4.1%) patients were lost to follow-up; the remaining 12 (6.1%) individuals were still on treatment at the end of the study. According to the Cox proportional hazards analysis, HIV-positive status (p < 0.05, 95% CI [0.361 - 0.879]), primary education level (p < 0.01, 95% CI [1.248 - 3.354]), poor quality of life (p < 0.01, 95% CI [1.239 - 3.511]) and age over 60 years old (p < 0.05, 95% CI [0.569 - 2.206]) were significant hazard ratios to experience the event (treatment default) in the study area. \u0000Conclusions. This study revealed that HIV-positive tuberculosis patients, older patients, patients with primary education, and those with poor quality of life are significant risk factors to experience treatment default in the study area. Therefore, it is recommended that stakeholders managing the treatment and care of tuberculosis patients should be dedicated and intentional in the provision of psychosocial therapy to patients with poor quality of life.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49105208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold training program on depression and care burden in dementia patient caregivers. Materials and Methods. We applied an experimental model based on a pretest-posttest control group. The sample consisted of 140 dementia caregivers (the experimental group and the control group with 70 participants per group). The sample size was determined, and the participants were allocated to groups using power analysis. Data of the study were collected between April 15, 2016 and July 15, 2016. For the pre-test, both groups were provided with the Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Caregiver Burden of Dementia Patient Caregiver Scale (CBDPCS) to be filled in. Then, the experimenter visited the homes of the experimental group patients twice at 2-week intervals to provide nursing care based on the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model. Finally, after 8 weeks, the post-test was conducted by letting both groups complete the Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, the BDI, and the CBDPCS once again. Percentage, chi-square, in independent and dependent sample t-tests were used to evaluate the related data. Results. The mean BDI score was 15.61 ± 10.97 in the pre-test and 11.08 ± 8.82 in the post-test (t=6.738, p=0.001). The mean pre-test and post-test total CBDPCS scores of caregivers were 67.02 ± 16.23 and 59.27 ± 15.25, respectively (t=5.974, p=0.001). The difference between the intergroup comparison of the mean experiment and control group post-test scores was statistically significant (p=0.001) on the CBDPCS and the total BDI score. Conclusions. Our results suggest that education provided to caregivers can efficiently decrease their care burden and depression levels.
{"title":"The Effect of the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model Training Program on Depression and Care Burden in Dementia Patient Caregivers","authors":"S. Aslan, Rukuye Aylaz","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.2.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.2.3","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold training program on depression and care burden in dementia patient caregivers. \u0000Materials and Methods. We applied an experimental model based on a pretest-posttest control group. The sample consisted of 140 dementia caregivers (the experimental group and the control group with 70 participants per group). The sample size was determined, and the participants were allocated to groups using power analysis. Data of the study were collected between April 15, 2016 and July 15, 2016. For the pre-test, both groups were provided with the Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Caregiver Burden of Dementia Patient Caregiver Scale (CBDPCS) to be filled in. Then, the experimenter visited the homes of the experimental group patients twice at 2-week intervals to provide nursing care based on the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model. Finally, after 8 weeks, the post-test was conducted by letting both groups complete the Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, the BDI, and the CBDPCS once again. Percentage, chi-square, in independent and dependent sample t-tests were used to evaluate the related data. \u0000Results. The mean BDI score was 15.61 ± 10.97 in the pre-test and 11.08 ± 8.82 in the post-test (t=6.738, p=0.001). The mean pre-test and post-test total CBDPCS scores of caregivers were 67.02 ± 16.23 and 59.27 ± 15.25, respectively (t=5.974, p=0.001). The difference between the intergroup comparison of the mean experiment and control group post-test scores was statistically significant (p=0.001) on the CBDPCS and the total BDI score. \u0000Conclusions. Our results suggest that education provided to caregivers can efficiently decrease their care burden and depression levels.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43997414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thomas Varkey, John A. Varkey, Milan Sivakumar, Zachary I. Merhavy
Often when discussing what is considered a rarer occurring event, individuals reference the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon as insurance against fallacious thinking. Also known as the frequency bias, this logical heuristic states that rare occurring events are rare and the knowledge of the existence of rare occurrences makes the interlocutor more likely to search out the event or see it occur more frequently. These false increases in observation frequency can logically be blamed, at least in part, on the interlocutor being made aware of the event existence. This Baader-Meinhof logical heuristic is often mis-utilized in the sciences to minimize the chances of rarer phenomena from being considered within a logical framework for the work up of a problem. This article presents a new logical heuristic, the “Mongoose Phenomenon” as a counter argument and presents it in the context of the fields of medicine, the hard sciences, engineering, and philosophy. It is the intention of the authors that this logical heuristic be utilized to improve the thought process of scientists, clinicians, and others to ensure the best thought process for the work up and creation of a solution for problems.
{"title":"The Mongoose Phenomenon: A New Logical Heuristic","authors":"Thomas Varkey, John A. Varkey, Milan Sivakumar, Zachary I. Merhavy","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.2.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.2.6","url":null,"abstract":"Often when discussing what is considered a rarer occurring event, individuals reference the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon as insurance against fallacious thinking. Also known as the frequency bias, this logical heuristic states that rare occurring events are rare and the knowledge of the existence of rare occurrences makes the interlocutor more likely to search out the event or see it occur more frequently. These false increases in observation frequency can logically be blamed, at least in part, on the interlocutor being made aware of the event existence. This Baader-Meinhof logical heuristic is often mis-utilized in the sciences to minimize the chances of rarer phenomena from being considered within a logical framework for the work up of a problem. This article presents a new logical heuristic, the “Mongoose Phenomenon” as a counter argument and presents it in the context of the fields of medicine, the hard sciences, engineering, and philosophy. It is the intention of the authors that this logical heuristic be utilized to improve the thought process of scientists, clinicians, and others to ensure the best thought process for the work up and creation of a solution for problems.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42242139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sevinç Köse Tuncer, Figen Alp Yılmaz, Papatya Karakurt, Nadire Yıldız Çiltaş
Introduction. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, has affected the whole world. Pregnant women who are expected to give birth during this period are one of the most important groups affected by these processes. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between the fear of childbirth and anxiety among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods. The cross-sectional study was conducted on 181 pregnant women in a city in the eastern region of Turkey between July and November 2020. Results. Mid-level fear of childbirth was experienced by 44.8% of pregnant women. A positive correlation was found between the average anxiety score of pregnant women and childbirth fear. Conclusions. The findings of the study will guide healthcare professionals in finding applicable solutions to the problems experienced by pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
{"title":"The Relationship between the Fear of Childbirth and Anxiety during the Covid-19 Pandemic","authors":"Sevinç Köse Tuncer, Figen Alp Yılmaz, Papatya Karakurt, Nadire Yıldız Çiltaş","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.2.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.2.2","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, has affected the whole world. Pregnant women who are expected to give birth during this period are one of the most important groups affected by these processes. \u0000The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between the fear of childbirth and anxiety among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. \u0000Materials and Methods. The cross-sectional study was conducted on 181 pregnant women in a city in the eastern region of Turkey between July and November 2020. \u0000Results. Mid-level fear of childbirth was experienced by 44.8% of pregnant women. A positive correlation was found between the average anxiety score of pregnant women and childbirth fear. \u0000Conclusions. The findings of the study will guide healthcare professionals in finding applicable solutions to the problems experienced by pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic period.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42151564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-07DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04206-4
Xianmixinuer Abulaiti, Aifang Wang, Han Zhang, Hang Su, Rui Gao, Jiayu Chen, Shaorong Gao, Lingsong Li
Abnormal mossy fiber connections in the hippocampus have been implicated in schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear whether this abnormality in the patients is genetically determined and whether it contributes to the onset of schizophrenia. Here, we showed that iPSC-derived hippocampal NPCs from schizophrenia patients with the A/A allele at SNP rs16864067 exhibited abnormal NPC polarity, resulting from the downregulation of SOX11 by this high-risk allele. In the SOX11-deficient mouse brain, abnormal NPC polarity was also observed in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and this abnormal NPC polarity led to defective hippocampal neurogenesis-specifically, irregular neuroblast distribution and disrupted granule cell morphology. As granule cell synapses, the mossy fiber pathway was disrupted, and this disruption was resistant to activity-induced mossy fiber remodeling in SOX11 mutant mice. Moreover, these mutant mice exhibited diminished PPI and schizophrenia-like behaviors. Activation of hippocampal neurogenesis in the embryonic brain, but not in the adult brain, partially alleviated disrupted mossy fiber connections and improved schizophrenia-related behaviors in mutant mice. We conclude that disrupted mossy fiber connections are genetically determined and strongly correlated with schizophrenia-like behaviors in SOX11-deficient mice. This disruption may reflect the pathological substrate of SOX11-associated schizophrenia.
{"title":"Disrupted mossy fiber connections from defective embryonic neurogenesis contribute to SOX11-associated schizophrenia.","authors":"Xianmixinuer Abulaiti, Aifang Wang, Han Zhang, Hang Su, Rui Gao, Jiayu Chen, Shaorong Gao, Lingsong Li","doi":"10.1007/s00018-022-04206-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00018-022-04206-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Abnormal mossy fiber connections in the hippocampus have been implicated in schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear whether this abnormality in the patients is genetically determined and whether it contributes to the onset of schizophrenia. Here, we showed that iPSC-derived hippocampal NPCs from schizophrenia patients with the A/A allele at SNP rs16864067 exhibited abnormal NPC polarity, resulting from the downregulation of SOX11 by this high-risk allele. In the SOX11-deficient mouse brain, abnormal NPC polarity was also observed in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and this abnormal NPC polarity led to defective hippocampal neurogenesis-specifically, irregular neuroblast distribution and disrupted granule cell morphology. As granule cell synapses, the mossy fiber pathway was disrupted, and this disruption was resistant to activity-induced mossy fiber remodeling in SOX11 mutant mice. Moreover, these mutant mice exhibited diminished PPI and schizophrenia-like behaviors. Activation of hippocampal neurogenesis in the embryonic brain, but not in the adult brain, partially alleviated disrupted mossy fiber connections and improved schizophrenia-related behaviors in mutant mice. We conclude that disrupted mossy fiber connections are genetically determined and strongly correlated with schizophrenia-like behaviors in SOX11-deficient mice. This disruption may reflect the pathological substrate of SOX11-associated schizophrenia.</p>","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"180"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11072709/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90341247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thomas Varkey, Zachary I. Merhavy, Rhonda M. J. Varkey, Jack B. Ding, John A. Varkey
This article is a response to an opinion article, authored by Wu JH et al. and published in JAMA 2021, vol 326 (20) which suggested the that pre-clinical (first two) years of medical school curriculum should revolve around “high-yield” resources as the dominant teaching tool. The article posited that this highly controversial view was the best way to engage with students and was published in a well-read and utilized medical journal. Due to the growing divide between learning resources provided by medical schools and outside resources actually utilized by students, the conclusions drawn in the mentioned opinion article were understandable but interpreted in the wrong vein. Herein, the authors review landmark changes in medical education over the last century and the underpinning rationale to preface their examination of the suggested changes from the mentioned opinion article. The authors conclude with recommendations from a student perspective and a continuation of the last 100 years of advancements.
{"title":"Learning or Memorization: Self-Directed Medical School Curriculum and the Dangers of Overemphasizing Student Selected Ancillary Resources","authors":"Thomas Varkey, Zachary I. Merhavy, Rhonda M. J. Varkey, Jack B. Ding, John A. Varkey","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.1.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.1.1","url":null,"abstract":"This article is a response to an opinion article, authored by Wu JH et al. and published in JAMA 2021, vol 326 (20) which suggested the that pre-clinical (first two) years of medical school curriculum should revolve around “high-yield” resources as the dominant teaching tool. The article posited that this highly controversial view was the best way to engage with students and was published in a well-read and utilized medical journal. Due to the growing divide between learning resources provided by medical schools and outside resources actually utilized by students, the conclusions drawn in the mentioned opinion article were understandable but interpreted in the wrong vein. Herein, the authors review landmark changes in medical education over the last century and the underpinning rationale to preface their examination of the suggested changes from the mentioned opinion article. The authors conclude with recommendations from a student perspective and a continuation of the last 100 years of advancements.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48395041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Sninate, Tlaite Oubaddi, S. Allioui, L. Jroundi, F. Laamrani
Background. Emphysematous osteomyelitis and emphysematous pyelonephritis are both rare entities responsible for a high death rate. The first is defined by the presence of intravertebral or intraosseous gas, while the second is infectious damage to the renal parenchyma and perilesional tissues caused by gas-producing microorganisms and is, therefore, characterized by the formation of gas. Imaging plays a crucial role in making a rapid diagnosis and, thus, the initiation of the necessary treatment. Case Report. A 66-year-old woman with a medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented with the altered general condition and flank pain for 5 days, associated with fever and chills. The patient’s vital signs were remarkable with a disturbed biological workup, which led to emergency abdominal and pelvic computed tomography scanning that revealed emphysematous osteomyelitis of the spine and emphysematous pyelonephritis. Conclusions. The coexistence of emphysematous pyelonephritis and emphysematous osteomyelitis is a rare life-threatening entity, occurring in patients with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus. Computed tomography is currently the gold standard in making the positive diagnosis, staging, for a quick and better management and, thus, a favorable prognosis.
{"title":"Emphysematous Pyelonephritis and Emphysematous Osteomyelitis: A case report","authors":"S. Sninate, Tlaite Oubaddi, S. Allioui, L. Jroundi, F. Laamrani","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.1.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.1.7","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Emphysematous osteomyelitis and emphysematous pyelonephritis are both rare entities responsible for a high death rate. The first is defined by the presence of intravertebral or intraosseous gas, while the second is infectious damage to the renal parenchyma and perilesional tissues caused by gas-producing microorganisms and is, therefore, characterized by the formation of gas. Imaging plays a crucial role in making a rapid diagnosis and, thus, the initiation of the necessary treatment. \u0000Case Report. A 66-year-old woman with a medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented with the altered general condition and flank pain for 5 days, associated with fever and chills. The patient’s vital signs were remarkable with a disturbed biological workup, which led to emergency abdominal and pelvic computed tomography scanning that revealed emphysematous osteomyelitis of the spine and emphysematous pyelonephritis. \u0000Conclusions. The coexistence of emphysematous pyelonephritis and emphysematous osteomyelitis is a rare life-threatening entity, occurring in patients with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus. Computed tomography is currently the gold standard in making the positive diagnosis, staging, for a quick and better management and, thus, a favorable prognosis.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42339458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Pushpa, Rohan Karkra, Kunjappagounder Pushpalatha, Deepa Bhat
The thyroid gland is characterized by significant anatomical variability, which may lead to difficulties in diagnostic and treatment outcomes. The pyramidal lobe is the most common variation present in up to 30% of the population. Literature has witnessed research on different variations of the pyramidal lobe, preference for the lobe from which it arises, gender preference, etc. Understanding such variations is essential for successful treatment outcomes for thyroid diseases. This short review was aimed to highlight embryological aspects of the thyroid gland, variation of its pyramidal lobe and present a rare case of demarcated left lobe, pyramidal lobe, and an associated cyst.
{"title":"Pyramidal Lobe Variations of the Thyroid Gland and Its Clinical Implications: A Short Review and Case Report","authors":"N. Pushpa, Rohan Karkra, Kunjappagounder Pushpalatha, Deepa Bhat","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.1.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.1.6","url":null,"abstract":"The thyroid gland is characterized by significant anatomical variability, which may lead to difficulties in diagnostic and treatment outcomes. The pyramidal lobe is the most common variation present in up to 30% of the population. Literature has witnessed research on different variations of the pyramidal lobe, preference for the lobe from which it arises, gender preference, etc. Understanding such variations is essential for successful treatment outcomes for thyroid diseases. This short review was aimed to highlight embryological aspects of the thyroid gland, variation of its pyramidal lobe and present a rare case of demarcated left lobe, pyramidal lobe, and an associated cyst.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47055233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ishfaq Zargar, I. Robanni, Omair Shah, T. Gojwari, Riaz Rasool, N. Choh, F. Shera, M. Wani
Background.The study was aimed at assessing the role of ultrasonography and multidetector computed tomography angiography in evaluating patients with suspected mesenteric ischemia, as well as assessing the effect of the time from presentation to management on mortality and morbidity. Materials and Methods. Patients with clinically suspected mesenteric ischemia underwent Doppler ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computed tomography. On ultrasonography, we assessed any filling defect in the superior mesenteric artery/vein, narrowing or occlusion of the proximal superior mesenteric artery, ascites, bowel wall thickening, and pneumatosis/portal venous gas. Computed tomography angiography was performed looking for any filling defect in the superior mesenteric artery/vein, superior mesenteric artery/vein calibre, bowel wall thickening, calibre and enhancement and pneumatosis/portal vein gas. Most of our patients underwent emergency surgery and the findings correlated with imaging. All the patients were divided into Group A (n=30) and Group B (n=17) based on the time from presentation to management: within 48 hours of presentation and 48 hours after presentation, respectively. Results. On computed tomography scan, mesenteric vascular involvement was seen in 27 (55%) patients, mesenteric/intestinal twist was observed in 12 (25%) patients, and non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia was found in 6% of patients. The computed tomography findings were found to have a sensitivity of 86%, a specificity of 94% and an accuracy of 90% in cases of mesenteric ischemia. Among 35 patients operated on, those presenting within 48 hours, had a significantly less mortality (63%) in comparison to those presenting after 48 hours (90%). Conclusions. Clinical, laboratory and ultrasound features are non-specific in diagnosing mesenteric ischemia. Computed tomography angiography is a sine qua non in mesenteric ischemia diagnosis. Patients with venous ischemia respond well to conservative management. Early intervention within the first 48 hours is associated with better prognosis.
{"title":"Imaging Evaluation of Mesenteric Ischemia: Is There a Golden Period for This Entity?","authors":"Ishfaq Zargar, I. Robanni, Omair Shah, T. Gojwari, Riaz Rasool, N. Choh, F. Shera, M. Wani","doi":"10.21802/gmj.2022.1.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2022.1.2","url":null,"abstract":"Background.The study was aimed at assessing the role of ultrasonography and multidetector computed tomography angiography in evaluating patients with suspected mesenteric ischemia, as well as assessing the effect of the time from presentation to management on mortality and morbidity. \u0000Materials and Methods. Patients with clinically suspected mesenteric ischemia underwent Doppler ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computed tomography. On ultrasonography, we assessed any filling defect in the superior mesenteric artery/vein, narrowing or occlusion of the proximal superior mesenteric artery, ascites, bowel wall thickening, and pneumatosis/portal venous gas. Computed tomography angiography was performed looking for any filling defect in the superior mesenteric artery/vein, superior mesenteric artery/vein calibre, bowel wall thickening, calibre and enhancement and pneumatosis/portal vein gas. Most of our patients underwent emergency surgery and the findings correlated with imaging. All the patients were divided into Group A (n=30) and Group B (n=17) based on the time from presentation to management: within 48 hours of presentation and 48 hours after presentation, respectively. \u0000Results. On computed tomography scan, mesenteric vascular involvement was seen in 27 (55%) patients, mesenteric/intestinal twist was observed in 12 (25%) patients, and non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia was found in 6% of patients. The computed tomography findings were found to have a sensitivity of 86%, a specificity of 94% and an accuracy of 90% in cases of mesenteric ischemia. Among 35 patients operated on, those presenting within 48 hours, had a significantly less mortality (63%) in comparison to those presenting after 48 hours (90%). \u0000Conclusions. Clinical, laboratory and ultrasound features are non-specific in diagnosing mesenteric ischemia. Computed tomography angiography is a sine qua non in mesenteric ischemia diagnosis. Patients with venous ischemia respond well to conservative management. Early intervention within the first 48 hours is associated with better prognosis.","PeriodicalId":12537,"journal":{"name":"Galician Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41486817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}