Background: Transgender men use exogenous androgen for male pattern virilization. Hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (HBSO) is performed to stop the endogenous estrogen secretion. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been shown to increase with long-term use of androgens and the removal of estrogen. We aimed to investigate the CVD risk in these individuals by measuring internal and common carotid artery intima–media thicknesses (CIMT). Methods: In this cohort study, data were collected from transgender men who had undergone HBSO and used androgens for at least two years (median treatment duration was 5 years in our research). Cisgender women in the same age range were selected as the control group. Demographics, vital signs, and hematological values of transgender patients and cisgender women subjects in the control group were noted. CVD markers were compared with sonographically measured CIMT values. Results: The mean age and body mass index (BMI) of the study group were 32.6 and 25.3, respectively. Weight, systolic–diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, hematocrit, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), serum triglyceride (TG), HbA1c levels, internal CIMT, and common CIMT values of the study group were higher, while the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level was significantly lower compared the control group (p1 = 0.025, p2 = 0.010, p3 = 0.002, p4 = 0.001, p5 = 0.001, p6 = 0.012, p7 = 0.008, p8 = 0.007, p9 = 0.013, and p10 = 0.001). There was also an increase in the body weight, BMI, LDL, and TG levels of the study group after the testosterone treatment (p1 = 0.025, p2 = 0.019, p3 = 0.001, p4 = 0.001, and p5 = 0.001). Conclusions: We demonstrated that the use of testosterone therapy in transgender men is associated with higher CIMT values. While further investigation is needed to assess morbidity and mortality rates, we recommend that regular clinical and radiological examinations be performed in these individuals to accurately evaluate the risk of CVD.

Objectives: Congenital hearing loss is a significant health concern, with diverse etiologies encompassing cochlear and cochleovestibular pathologies. Preoperative radiological evaluation in cochlear implant candidates is pivotal for treatment planning. We aim to elucidate the spectrum of radiological findings in patients with congenital hearing loss undergoing cochlear implant assessment. Methods: An analysis included 389 sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) patients who underwent cochlear implantation at a tertiary university hospital, of which 177 were congenital SNHL. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were meticulously assessed for diverse congenital pathologies, focusing on congenital malformations. Results: In the congenital SNHL group, comprising 177 patients (80 females and 97 males), congenital cochleovestibular malformations were evident in 56 ears of 29 cases. Different congenital cochleovestibular malformations, ranging from labyrinthine aplasia to isolated large vestibular aqueducts, were detected. Among the various anomalies, incomplete partitions and cochlear hypoplasia emerged as more frequent patterns. Conclusions: This study offers a comprehensive radiological analysis of congenital SNHL patients undergoing cochlear implantation, revealing a spectrum of anomalies. It demonstrates the diverse nature of anomalies affecting the external auditory canal, middle ear structures, and cochleovestibular system. These insights provide a deeper understanding of congenital SNHL and contribute to developing informed treatment strategies.

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a common cause of hip pain and is often associated with chronic lower back pain and lower extremity osteoarthritis. Its diagnosis is clinical; however, imaging has been shown to aid in the differential diagnosis of challenging cases. Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) is a new technique that may be more effective than power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) in the detection of inflammation-related vascularity in patients. In this study, we aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracies of SMI and PDUS in patients with GTPS and evaluate the usefulness of these techniques in clinical practice. We recruited 37 GTPS patients and 15 healthy volunteers for participation in this study. PDUS and SMI examinations were performed and we retrospectively reviewed the magnetic resonance imaging scans for tendinosis, tears, and edema. The PDUS and SMI were positive in 19 and 31 hips, respectively. Both techniques had low sensitivity but high specificity and positive predictive values, with SMI being slightly better. PDUS and SMI had accuracies of 75% and 82.7%, respectively, with a grade 1 vascularization threshold. Moreover, magnetic resonance imaging detected peritendinous edema with an accuracy of 60.5%, including tendinosis and partial tears but not complete tendon tears. Our study showed that PDUS is an underutilized modality in the diagnosis of GTPS and that SMI may further improve diagnostic accuracy. However, the low sensitivity of both techniques suggests that a clinical diagnosis remains essential.

Objectives: Congenital hearing loss is a significant health concern, with diverse etiologies encompassing cochlear and cochleovestibular pathologies. Preoperative radiological evaluation in cochlear implant candidates is pivotal for treatment planning. We aim to elucidate the spectrum of radiological findings in patients with congenital hearing loss undergoing cochlear implant assessment. Methods: An analysis included 389 sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) patients who underwent cochlear implantation at a tertiary university hospital, of whose 177 were congenital SNHL. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were meticulously assessed for diverse congenital pathologies, focusing on congenital malformations. Results: In the congenital SNHL group, comprising 177 patients (80 females and 97 males), congenital malformations were evident in 56 ears of 29 cases. Among the various anomalies, incomplete partitions and cochlear hypoplasia emerged as significant patterns. Different congenital cochleovestibular malformations, ranging from labyrinthine aplasia to isolated large vestibular aqueducts, were detected. Conclusion: This study offers a comprehensive radiological analysis of congenital SNHL patients undergoing cochlear implantation, revealing a spectrum of anomalies. It demonstrates the diverse nature of anomalies affecting the external auditory canal, middle ear structures, and cochleovestibular system. These insights provide a deeper understanding of congenital SNHL and contribute to developing informed treatment strategies.

Background: In this study, we radiologically assessed potential increases in microvascularity, extracellular matrix-related changes, and tissue viscoelasticity following carboxytherapy for periorbital hyperpigmentation (POH). We also analyzed the correlation between radiological changes and clinical outcomes and explored implications for future outpatient selection, as well as the potential to predict treatment success based on radiological–clinical correlations. Materials and Methods: The present study included 78 patients (76 women and 2 men) aged over 18 years with Fitzpatrick skin types I–V and moderate-to-severe infraorbital dark circles who applied for treatment at the Dermatology Department in the Cosmetology Unit of Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Hospital. Each patient was given manual, pressure-controlled injections of sterile CO₂ into the upper and lower eyelids for 7 weeks, with one round of treatment per week. We conducted dermatoclinical and radiological evaluations, including measurements of epidermis–dermis thickness and SWE, musculus orbicularis oculi pars pretarsalis thickness, and cSMI vascular index percentage, as well as SOOF tissue SWE (measured in kPa). These analyses were performed on both lower eyelids before treatment and at 1 month and 6 months after treatment. Results: After treatment, VAS scores improved significantly. Grayscale ultrasonography showed significant increases in epidermis–dermis and orbicularis oculi thickness at 1 and 6 months (p < 0.05). SMI presented a significant increase in vascular index at both follow-ups (p < 0.05). SOOF SWE values increased significantly at 1 and 6 months, whereas epidermis–dermis SWE did not. Procedural pain was common, and 25 participants withdrew during the 7-week period due to discomfort. Injection depth was not confirmed by real-time imaging, and adverse events were not graded using a standardized classification system. Therefore, tolerability and procedural safety should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions: Carboxytherapy was associated with improvements in clinical outcomes and radiological parameters among patients who were able to tolerate the procedure, including increased microvascularity on SMI and changes suggestive of extracellular matrix-related alterations. These improvements were maintained at the 6-month follow-up, indicating temporal persistence of the observed findings. However, due to the absence of a control group, the results should be interpreted with caution, and further randomized controlled studies are required to confirm these findings and establish causality.

Objectives: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a prevalent condition with significant socioeconomic implications. Endovenous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment option that has gained widespread acceptance due to its high efficacy and low complication rates. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a novel venous access technique using a subcutaneous side branch of the greater saphenous vein (GSV) and compare it to the conventional direct GSV access technique. Methods: A total of 211 patients (288 legs) with CVI were randomly assigned to either the conventional access group (group 1, 145 legs) or the subcutaneous side branch group (group 2, 143 legs). Patients were assessed for demographic characteristics, venous access success rates, complications, and clinical outcomes. The primary outcomes were venous access success and procedural time, while secondary outcomes included complication rates such as vasospasm, ecchymosis, and thrombophlebitis. Results: The mean access time was significantly lower in group 2 (30.8 ± 9.9 seconds) compared to group 1 (46.7 ± 14.9 s) ( p < 0.001). Additionally, group 2 required fewer cannulation attempts (1.28 ± 0.5) than group 1 (2.2 ± 0.9) ( p < 0.001). Vasospasm occurred less frequently in group 2 (3.1%) than in group 1 (5.2%) ( p = 0.005), and group 2 had significantly lower rates of ecchymosis ( p = 0.033), thrombophlebitis ( p = 0.026), and paresthesia ( p = 0.045). No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding thermal skin injury ( p = 0.142) or GSV occlusion rates at 3 months. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that accessing the GSV via a subcutaneous side branch is a feasible and advantageous technique, leading to faster cannulation and reduced complication rates compared to the conventional approach. Further research is warranted to assess this novel technique’s long-term outcomes and potential benefits in diverse clinical settings.