Objective : To evaluate short‐term treatment outcomes and treatment burden in patients with presacral pilonidal sinus disease managed with crystallised phenol in a single‐centre clinical series, with particular emphasis on the relationship between pit burden and session requirement. Methods : Consecutive patients treated with crystallised phenol were analysed ( n = 40). Demographic and clinical characteristics, symptom duration, pit count, number of phenol sessions (2 vs. 3), inter‐session intervals, and total treatment duration were recorded. All patients completed scheduled clinical reassessment at 5 weeks and 3 months. Treatment‐related abscess and recurrence during follow‐up were documented. Continuous variables are presented as mean ± standard deviation and median (minimum–maximum). Comparisons between the two‐session and three‐session groups were performed with the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Results : The cohort was predominantly male (75%), with a mean age of 29.23 ± 9.85 years and a mean body mass index of 25.81 ± 3.85 kg/m ² ; 62.5% were smokers. Symptom duration was 6.80 ± 7.20 months, and mean pit count was 1.90 ± 0.93. Two sessions were sufficient in 42.5% (17/40), whereas 57.5% (23/40) required three sessions. The interval between the first and second sessions was 11.32 ± 3.30 days, and the interval between the second and third sessions was 11.96 ± 3.23 days in patients who underwent three sessions; overall treatment duration was 18.2 ± 7.58 days. No patient was lost to follow‐up. Pit burden was the strongest determinant of requiring a third session: pit count was significantly higher in the three‐session group than in the two‐session group (2.39 ± 0.89 vs. 1.24 ± 0.44, p < 0.001), and all patients with ≥ 3 pits required three sessions. Smoking status ( p = 1.000) and body mass index (BMI) ( p = 0.208) were not associated with session requirement. Treatment‐related abscess developed in 12.5% (5/40), and recurrence during the 3‐month follow‐up was observed in 12.5% (5/40); notably, all such events occurred in the three‐session group (0/17 vs. 5/23, p = 0.061 for both comparisons). Conclusion : In this single‐centre series, crystallised phenol provided acceptable short‐term outcomes and a relatively short treatment course in presacral pilonidal sinus disease. Pit count emerged as the main determinant of requiring a third session, whereas smoking status and BMI were not associated with session requirement. Larger studies with longer follow‐up are needed to clarify predictors of recurrence and to determine whether higher session requirements simply reflect disease complexity or also influence outcome.

Background/Objectives: Identifying reliable predictors of all-cause mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) remains clinically important to decide the route of nutrition. This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of hepatic biomarkers, particularly the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in the ICUs of a tertiary care university hospital. Adult patients who underwent PEG between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024 were included. Pre-procedural demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were retrieved from electronic medical records. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality within three years of PEG placement. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression to identify independent predictors. Results: Older age, elevated FIB-4, total and direct bilirubin, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, c-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, INR, and prothrombin (PT) levels, and reduced calcium, platelet count, and albumin were significantly associated with all-cause mortality (p < 0.05). ROC analysis identified FIB-4, GGT, LDH, and albumin as significant predictors of mortality. Kaplan–Meier analysis confirmed that patients with higher FIB-4, GGT, and LDH, and lower albumin levels, had significantly shorter survival. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that while the FIB-4 score was a significant predictor of mortality in the univariate model, it lost its independent prognostic value when adjusted for confounders. Instead, lower albumin, elevated CRP, and increased GGT emerged as the independent risk factors for mortality. Conclusions: Pre-procedural albumin, CRP, and GGT levels are strong independent prognostic indicators of all-cause mortality in ICU patients undergoing PEG. While FIB-4 serves as a practical initial screening tool, adverse outcomes might be primarily driven by systemic inflammation and nutritional depletion rather than isolated hepatic fibrosis.

Background: Whether overt hypothyroidism carries a different structural thyroid profile from subclinical disease is still uncertain. We therefore compared thyroid ultrasound findings in the two groups, focusing on nodule burden and parenchymal heterogeneity. Methods: This retrospective study included 210 adults with hypothyroidism: 53 with overt disease and 157 with subclinical disease. Demographic, laboratory, and thyroid ultrasonography data were reviewed. Ultrasound outcomes were any thyroid nodule, nodule burden, nodules ≥1 cm, cystic or solid nodules, and parenchymal echotexture. Multivariable models were adjusted for age and sex. Results: Patients with overt hypothyroidism were older than those with subclinical hypothyroidism (median age: 52 vs. 43 years; p<0.001). Heterogeneous parenchyma was more common in patients with overt hypothyroidism than in those with subclinical hypothyroidism on unadjusted analysis (46/53 (86.8%) vs. 108/157 (68.8%); p=0.011) and remained independently associated with overt hypothyroidism after adjustment (adjusted OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.20-7.17; p=0.018). By contrast, the groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of any thyroid nodule (26/53 (49.1%) vs. 71/157 (45.2%); p=0.637), nodule burden, nodules ≥1 cm, cystic nodules, or solid nodules. Age, rather than hypothyroidism category, was the main determinant of nodularity: each 10-year increase in age was associated with higher odds of any thyroid nodule (adjusted OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.13-1.62; p=0.001) and nodules ≥1 cm (adjusted OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.23-2.07; p<0.001). Conclusion: Overt hypothyroidism was associated with more frequent parenchymal heterogeneity, but not with greater thyroid nodule burden. Thyroid nodularity and larger nodules were more closely related to age than to the hypothyroidism category.

Objective: This study aimed to compare haematological, biochemical, and serological parameters in haemodialysis (HD) patients with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in order to identify distinctive laboratory patterns with potential clinical relevance. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 77 patients undergoing HD at a tertiary centre: 45 with AKI and 32 with CKD. Demographic characteristics and a broad panel of laboratory parameters encompassing haematological indices, inflammatory markers, liver and cholestatic enzymes, electrolyte and mineral metabolism, iron parameters, and serological markers were analysed. Group comparisons were performed using appropriate statistical tests. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted for Helicobacter pylori (HP) IgA and IgG. Results: Patients with AKI were significantly older than those with CKD (p=0.001), while sex distribution was similar. Compared with CKD patients, the AKI group demonstrated a laboratory profile characterised by higher inflammatory and tissue injury markers, including white blood cell count, neutrophils, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and D-dimer (all p<0.05). In contrast, CKD patients exhibited higher levels of creatinine, parathyroid hormone, ferritin, iron indices, and alkaline phosphatase, consistent with chronic kidney disease–related metabolic alterations (all p<0.05). No significant differences were observed in HP IgA or IgG levels, and ROC analyses showed no discriminative value for distinguishing AKI from CKD. Conclusion: HD patients with AKI and CKD exhibit distinct multisystem laboratory patterns reflecting acute inflammatory activity versus chronic metabolic adaptation. Recognising these differences may improve contextual interpretation of laboratory findings and support more individualised clinical decision-making in the HD setting.

The objective of this study is to compare the hemostatic efficacy of oxidised regenerated cellulose powder (Surgicel^® Powder) and fibrin glue (Tisseel^®) in a rat model of liver parenchymal haemorrhage, and to evaluate their effects on tissue healing. Preoperative haemoglobin and haematocrit values were comparable among the groups (p > 0.05). At 24 h, postoperative haemoglobin and haematocrit values differed significantly among the three groups (p = 0.045 and p = 0.042, respectively), with lower values in the saline-compression control group and relatively preserved values in the Surgicel^® Powder and Tisseel^® groups. However, no statistically significant difference was identified between the two active treatment groups. Histopathological evaluation revealed no statistically significant between-group differences in necrosis, inflammation, fibrosis, haemorrhage, or granulation tissue formation (p > 0.05).