Mad honey or rhododendron honey containing grayanotoxins possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study was planned to evaluate the effects of topical application of mad honey on wound healing in diabetic rats. Dorsal skin wounds were created under anesthesia in male Wistar albino rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus randomly divided into three groups (each n = 28). Group I received topical 0.09% saline solution, Group II received terramycin, and Group III received mad honey. Wound tissues were collected after decapitation on days 3, 7, 14, or 19 post-wounding. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were determined using quantitative methods. Gene expressions of the inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and of the anti-inflammatory marker interleukin-10 (IL-10) were analyzed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Wound tissues were also subjected to histopathological examination. Significantly lower MDA levels and TNF-α and MMP-9 expression, and increased antioxidant enzyme activities and IL-10 expression were observed in the mad honey group (Group III) compared with Group I. These parameters exhibited similar changes in Group II compared with Group I. In conclusion, the topical use of mad honey improves the healing of diabetic wounds in examined rats.

We present an extremely rare case of a pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma of the true vocal fold. The histopathological diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The patient was treated with radical surgery including total laryngectomy and radical neck dissection followed by postoperative radiotherapy. The clinicopathologic features of this rare malignancy are discussed together with a review of the literature. This case report and literature review highlights the more favorable prognosis of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in the larynx than in other locations.

Purpose: To investigate the possible relationship between the nuclear morphometric characteristics (nuclear perimeter, roundness, nuclear area, and nuclear shape) and BRAF mutation status in papillary thyroid carcinoma cases with a prior diagnosis of undetermined cytology. Materials and methods: Total thyroidectomy specimens obtained from 48 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma with a prior diagnosis of undetermined cytology were included. Morphometric analysis under light microscopy included measurements of the perimeter, shape factor, nuclear area, and roundness of thyrocyte nuclei from the cytological smear preparations. Mutational analysis, including immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction, was performed in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks. Results: BRAF V600E mutation was detected in 7 of 48 cases (14.5%). The nuclear perimeter and nuclear area in mutated cases were significantly higher than the wild type (p = 0.005). Shape factor (p = 0.681) and roundness (p = 0.752) values did not significantly differ between the wild-type and mutant groups. No significant relationship was evident between BRAF expression and BRAF point mutation. Conclusion: In cases with positivity for BRAF mutation, the nuclear perimeter and nuclear area were significantly increased. These findings suggest that morphometric variables are predictive markers for papillary thyroid carcinoma cases with positivity for BRAF mutation. However, further trials on larger series are warranted to understand the significance and predictive value of nuclear morphometric analysis in these circumstances.

Systemic amyloidosis is a clinical manifestation of the accumulation of amyloid fibrils in tissues because of persistent acute phase elevation and chronic inflammation. Its most common causes are inflammatory diseases and malignancies. Here, we present a 12-year-old girl diagnosed with systemic amyloidosis and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) who was also previously diagnosed with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Despite colchicine treatment for FMF, the patient had a persistent elevation of acute phase reactants and AA-type amyloid deposits were observed in a kidney biopsy. Anakinra, an interleukin-1 antagonist, was added to the treatment. Shortly after the diagnosis of amyloidosis, mediastinal lymphadenopathy was recognized, and she was also diagnosed with HL. A chemotherapy protocol of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine was initiated. After 6 cycles of the chemotherapy and 8 months of the anakinra treatment, no recurrence or residual malignancy was observed and proteinuria was decreased. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of systemic amyloidosis in the literature associated with both FMF and HL.