Technological developments accelerated with the Industrial Revolution have started to be used effectively in health tourism marketing, and its applicability in health tourism has increased competition between countries and even continents. Technological advances in artificial intelligence and telemedicine have reduced the time and economic costs of travel within the scope of health tourism while increasing the efficiency of health tourism and the number of patients benefiting from health services every day. Artificial intelligence and telemedicine accelerate diagnosis, detection and treatment services, and their use is increasing as an alternative to uninterrupted access to healthcare providers in problems caused by global pandemics such as Covid 19. This study employs qualitative analysis and aims to evaluate artificial intelligence and telemedicine applications in terms of health tourism marketing.

Background and Aims: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic hemolytic anemia that may be life-threatening due to multisystemic effects. Identification of the factors which affect the pathophysiology of the disease is important in reducing mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to determine gut microbial diversity in children and adolescents with SCA compared with healthy volunteers and to evaluate the clinical impact of microbiota. Materials and Methods: The study included 34 children and young adolescents with SCD and 41 healthy volunteer participants. The microbiome was assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing in stool samples. Laboratory parameters of all participants, such as complete blood count and C-reactive protein values and clinical characteristics of SCD patients, were determined and compared, as well as clinical conditions of the patients, such as vascular occlusive crisis and/or acute chest syndrome, frequency of transfusions, intake of penicillin, hydroxyurea, and chelation therapy were recorded. Results: White blood cell count, hemoglobin, immature granulocyte and C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher in the patient group (P<0.05). Microbiota analysis revealed 3 different clusters among subjects; controls and 2 clusters in the SCD patients (patient G1 and G2 groups). Bacteroides spp. were more prevalent, while Dialester spp. and Prevotella spp. were less prevalent in SCD compared with controls (t=2.142, P<0.05). Patient G2 (n=9) had a higher prevalence of Bacteroides and a lower prevalence of Prevotella than patient G1 (n=25). Conclusion: In our study, there was a difference between SCD patients and the control group, while 2 different microbiota profiles were encountered in SCD patients. This difference between the microbiota of the patients was not found to affect the clinical picture (such as vascular occlusive crisis, acute chest syndrome).

OBJECTIVE: There is still ongoing research on the relationship of arcuate eminence (AE) and superior semicircular canal (SSC). We aimed to evaluate the precision of predictability of SSC through the morphology of AE via radiological means. MATERIALS and METHODS: This investigation is performed on 12 dry skulls belonging to Mersin University Medical Faculty department of anatomy. Computed tomography (CT) assessment is performed with 0.5-mm-thin sections temporal bone algorithm on dry skulls which were marked with fixated copper wire by scotch tapes on the most prominent part of the middle fossa floor assuming the location of AE. The data are reformatted on the workstation with vitrea 2.0. The distances of the determined three points including lateral (A), apical (B), and medial (C) of the SSC and the copper wire are measured radiologically. Also, the height between the most apical part of the SSC to the floor of the skullbase (H) is measured. The angles between the placed copper wires and the SSC (E) are calculated. The angle between SSC and the midpoint of the IAC (F) and SSC to the sulcus of the greater GSPN (G) were measured. The nearest distance was measured between the most posterior part of the SSC and the point marked by the perpendicular line drawn from the medial border of the petrous bone to the most posterior part of the internal auditory canal (IAC) (D). RESULTS: The right and left A, B, and C distances are 2.54+/- 2.75, 3.67+/−3.16, 5.85+/-3.77; 2.92+/-2.24, 3.68+/-2.93, 6.09+/-3.40, respectively. We could not find any statistical significance when the right A, B, and C distances were compared with the left values. Examination of the values revealed that C distance is greater than the A distance of the same side both for right (p=0.040) and left (p=0.022) measurements. The calculated left and right E angles are 30.313+/-12.838, and 35.558+/-18.437 degrees, respectively. Statistical significance was not found between the right and left angles. The right and left F, G angles were 53.17, 47.25; 93.58, 100.92 degrees; and D distances are 8.01, 8.13 millimeters, respectively. Statistical significance was not found when right and left E, F, G angles and D distances were compared. Among 12 left and 12 right sides, the copper wire was found to be nearly overlapping to SSC in two in the right and only one in the left. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that there is a great variability predicting the exact location of SSC through the prominence of AE. Complementary studies are needed with greater number of dry skulls and cadavers. Comparison of different hypothesis including the effect of temporal lobe sulcus is to be discussed to better enlighten the exact relationship of the aforementioned anatomical structures. Cite this article as: Kara E, Öztürk K, Oktay E, Hamzaoğlu V, Uzmansel D, Vayisoğlu Y, et al. The Predictability Precision of Superior Semicircular Canal Through Radiological Assessment and Microanatomical Dissection. J Int Adv Otol 2018; 14(2): 290-4.

One of the side effects of vaccines used to end the COVID-19 epidemic is non-specifically enlarged axillary lymph nodes. Such lymphadenopathy detected during clinical examination of breast cancer patients may require additional imaging or interventional procedures that should not normally be performed. This study has been designed to estimate the incidence of palpable enlarged axillary lymph node in breast cancer patients who had received COVID-19 vaccination in the past 3 months in the same arm as compared to those without vaccination. Breast cancer patients admitted to M.U. Medical Faculty Breast polyclinic between January 2021 and March 2022 were screened, and clinical staging was performed after thorough clinical examination. Among these patients with suspected enlarged axillary lymph node and those undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), they were divided into two groups as vaccinated and unvaccinated. Age, menopausal status, tumor size, tumor location, surgery, pathology results, hormonal receptor status, and SLNB results were statistically compared with groups. There was no significant difference between groups in terms of age, menopause, tumor size, tumor location, surgery, pathological results, and hormone receptor status. The SLNB being reported as reactive only was 89.1% in the vaccinated group and 73.2% in the non-vaccinated group which was statistically significant different. Reactive lymph nodes were commonly found with an excess of 16% in patients who had received COVID-19 vaccination in the past 3 months. This required caution and additional examination of the axillary lymph nodes in this period.

A preoperative computed tomography scan is useful to determine neurovascular exit points from orbit to supraorbital region. Determining the structure of exiting points (absence or presence, if present, being in form of foramen or notch) is important to plan the surgical approach. The aim of the study was to provide the radiological data by multi-detector computed tomography for estimating exiting points of the neurovascular bundles of the supraorbital region whether through foramen or notch in living subjects related to side (right/left), sex and age. Computed tomography examinations of 214 (102 male and 112 female) adult patients, aged average 44.2 ± 14 years, were evaluated, retrospectively. Presence or absence, number and nature (foramen/notch) of exiting points of neurovascular bundles were noted in each side regarding sex and age groups. The distance of foramen/notch to the midline of the face was recorded. Single notch was seen on the right in 123 and in 134 on the left, single foramen was seen in 62 on the right and in 56 on the left side and double foramen was seen in 13 on the right and in 6 on the left. The absence was seen in 16 on the right and 18 on the left side. No significant difference was seen on frequency compared between the sexes and age groups. Foramen was seen in 58 sides unilaterally and in 39 sides bilaterally. Notch was unilateral in 75 sides and bilateral in 95 sides. It was shown that males had a wider distance between right side foramen and left side notch to midline. Age groups did not show a significant difference in terms of side. Absence and foramen presence made up about 30-40 % of cases. Notch was the most common form. Foramen/notch presence was statistically unaffected by the sex and age factors. In terms of surgery, preoperative assessment of orbital exit points with computed tomography is essential.