Pilomatrix carcinoma is an extremely rare skin tumor derived from basaloid cells in the hair follicles; it often exhibits locally aggressive behavior with a tendency toward local recurrence. The average age of occurrence is 45 years, and there appears to be a male to female incidence ratio of 4:1. Although pilomatrix carcinomas are predominantly identified in the neck and scalp, there are studies in the literature reporting other tumor development sites, including the upper extremities, torso and popliteal fossa. If diagnosed at an early stage, this malignant tumor is generally treated with wide surgical resection. However, for the advanced‑stage tumors, there are no standard treatment procedures known to produce good results. The current study presents the case of a 76‑year‑old male with pilomatrix carcinoma originating from the scalp with metastases to the lung. The patient had a rapid and complete clinical response following an oral combination chemotherapy regimen of cyclophosphamide and etoposide.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) is an autoimmune disease with chronic complications that is becoming more frequent as life expectancy of diabetics has increased owing to improved methods of detection and better management. In this study, we investigated whether the presence of autoimmunity can be used in predicting the development time of microvascular complications. Our study included 52 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). The subjects had developed microvascular complications and they had been tested for anti-GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase) antibodies and/or islet-cell antibodies (ICA). In the assessment of microvascular complications, we used ocular fundus examination, electromyography (EMG), and 24-h urine microalbuminuria tests. Of the patients included in the study, 30 were female and 22 were male. Of all patients characterized for the existence of diabetic complications, 36 of 52 had both diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy, 5 patients had diabetic neuropathy, and 11 patients had diabetic retinopathy only. At the diagnosis of diabetes, 20 in 52 patients tested negative for autoantibodies (anti-GAD and anti-ICA), while 32 of 52 tested positive for anti-GAD and/or anti-ICA. The mean HbA1C level of autoantibody-negative patients was 7.7%, while antibody-positive patients had slightly higher HbA1c levels (7.9%). However, this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The mean development time of microvascular complications in autoantibody-positive patients was calculated as 11: 40±6.46 years, and in patients with negative autoimmunity results it was 10.91±6.70 years. The presence of diabetes-related autoantibodies (DRAs) in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus does not have a significant effect on the development time of diabetic microvascular complications.
Red blood cells carry oxygen in the body and Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase protects these cells from oxidative chemicals. If there is a lack of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase, red blood cells can go acute hemolysis. Convulsion is a rare presentation for acute hemolysis due to Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency. Herein, we report a case report of a Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency diagnosed patient after presentation with convulsion. A 70 year-old woman patient had been hospitalized because of convulsion and fatigue. She has not had similar symptoms before. She had ingested fava beans in the last two days. Her hypophyseal and brain magnetic resonance imaging were normal. Blood transfusion was performed and the patient recovered.
10 October 2014 in Turkish Journal of Parasitology
Hydatid cyst disease is an oral transmitted parasitosis caused by the larval form of the Echinococcus granulosus tapeworm that penetrates the intestinal mucosa and reaches the internal organs via the blood and lymphatic stream. Hydatid cyst disease is an important health problem, especially in developing countries, such as Turkey. Renal hydatid cyst is extremely rare, and kidney involvement is seen in only 2% of all cases. In this study, we present two patients with renal hydatid cyst. Hydatid cyst was not suspected before pathological diagnosis in both patients. At first, the patients were suspected of having malignancy, and the treatment modality was made accordingly. When the pathology results revealed hydatid cyst, the treatment of the patients was modified. Renal hydatid disease should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with renal cyst in Turkey.
Background/aim: To explore the dermatological lesions associated with chronic pruritus in patients who were followed up at our clinic for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Materials and methods: The study population consisted of 249 patients with DM, who presented to the endocrinology clinic at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine between January 2022, and March 2022, regardless of whether they had reported experiencing pruritus symptoms. The visual analog scale and 5-D itch scale were used to determine the severity of itching in patients. Dermatological examination findings were also evaluated. Results: Of the 249 patients with DM, mean duration since diabetes was diagnosed was 12 ± 9.2 [median 10 (0.3?46)] years, and the mean HbA1c levels were 8.1% ± 2.1%. Pruritus was detected in 77 (30.9%) patients and the mean duration of diabetes diagnosis was 13.4 ± 9.7 years. Examination of the microvascular and macrovascular complications showed that the incidence of retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease was 31.2% (p = 0.003), 31.2% (p = 0.005), 66.2% (p < 0.001) and 10.4% (p = 0.038), respectively, in the group with pruritus. These incidences were significantly higher in the group with pruritus than in those without pruritus. Dermatological examination showed that the most common condition was xerosis (64%), followed by fungal skin infection (16%) and bullous pemphigoid (8%). No skin findings were noted in 7% of patients who complained of itching. Conclusion: Chronic pruritus may be associated with several factors such as poor glycemic control, high BMI and microvascular and macrovascular complications in patients with DM. Especially in patients with severe generalized pruritus who do not respond to standard antipruritic treatments, the use of DPP-4 inhibitors, a class of oral antidiabetic agents, should be questioned and all medications being used by the patient should be reviewed.