AIM: To investigate the correlation of the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) anxiety, depression, and somatization subscale scores with chronic low back pain (LBP). MATERIAL and METHODS: Seventy-five patients who were admitted with the complaint of chronic LBP (patient group) and 75 healthy persons (control group) were evaluated. SCL-90-R anxiety, depression, and somatization subscale scores of patients having chronic LBP and healthy persons were measured. The mean values were paired and using two tailed t test they were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: The difference between SCL-90-R anxiety subscale subscores of patients having chronic LBP and healthy persons was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The difference between SCL-90-R depression subscale subscores of patients having chronic LBP and healthy persons was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The difference between SCL-90-R somatization subscale subscores of patients having chronic LBP and healthy persons was statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: SCL-90-R somatization subscale subscores are higher in patients with low back pain. The treatment of low back pain can be more successful when combined with the treatment of somatization.

Ventriculo-gallblader shunt is very rarely used in the treatment of hydrocephalus. A 44-year-old male with ventriculoatrial shunt dysfunction was evaluated. His ventriculoatrial shunt was not working. His medical history revealed that his hydrocephalus was treated five times by venrtriculoperitoneal shunt, and four times by ventriculoatrial shunt. Another trial for ventriculoperitoneal or ventriculoatrial shunting was not considered feasible. A ventriculo-gallbladder shunt was placed to the patient as a potential salvage procedure. Remarkably, the patient benefited from the ventriculo-gallbladder shunt and was discharged from the hospital. We think that ventriculo-gallbladder shunting is a safe and effective treatment for hydrocephalus as the last resort in complicated cases of shunt dysfunction.

AIM: To compare the effect of fluoroscopically guided transforaminal epidural steroid injections on radicular pain in foraminal and paramedian lumbar disc herniations. MATERIAL and METHODS: This study included patients who did not benefit from previous medical treatments or are not suitable for surgery. Transforaminal epidural steroid injections for the treatment of foraminal and paramedian lumbar disc herniation were performed in 370 and 1262 patients, respectively. Every group's preprocedural visual analogue scale (VAS) and 12-week postprocedural VAS scores were recorded, and statistical analysis was performed. The complications noted were also recorded. RESULTS: The preprocedural and postprocedural mean VAS scores for radicular pain in foraminal disc herniation were 67.11 +/- 4.28 and 34.78 +/- 3.64, respectively. However, the preprocedural and postprocedural mean VAS scores in paramedian disc herniation were 62.16 +/- 6.65 and 19.07 +/- 4.50, respectively. Statistical analysis of the varying preprocedural and postprocedural VAS scores showed that transforaminal epidural steroid injections were more effective for paramedian disc herniation than for foraminal disc herniation (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Transforaminal epidural steroid injections were more effective for paramedian lumbar disc herniation than for foraminal disc herniation, 12 weeks after the procedure.

AIM: To compare the outcomes of fluoroscopically guided transforaminal epidural steroid injections between L4-L5 paramedian disc herniation and L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation for the treatment of radicular pain. MATERIAL and METHODS: A total of 593 patients treated by transforaminal epidural steroid injections for the treatment of L4-5 paramedian disc herniation and 504 patients treated by transforaminal epidural steroid injections for the treatment of L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation were included in the study. All the patients were regularly followed up for 12 weeks. Preprocedural Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, 12-week post-procedural VAS scores and complications were were recorded. RESULTS: The mean preprocedural and postprocedural VAS scores for L4-5 paramedian disc herniation were 63.09 +/- 5.37 and 15.81 +/- 3.58, respectively, and the mean preprocedural and postprocedural VAS scores for L5-S1paramedian disc herniation were 61.15 +/- 5.45 and 27.06 +/- 3.62, respectively, for radicular pain. There was a statistically significant difference between preprocedural and postprocedural VAS scores for L4-5 and L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation (p<0.05). Transforaminal epidural steroid injections for L4-5 paramedian disc herniation were more effective than transforaminal epidural steroid injections for L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation. CONCLUSION: This study showed that transforaminal epidural steroid injections for L4-5 paramedian disc herniation were more effective than transforaminal epidural steroid injections for L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation in the 12-week follow-up period.

Background: Over 200 human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) polymorphism combinations have been implicated in the development of cancer. This study aimed to evaluate hTERT mutations in meningioma tissue and its association with meningioma. Material and Methods: A total of 90 patients who underwent surgery between 2006 and 2015 and were histopathologically diagnosed with meningioma (WHO 2016) were included. Results: Among the 90 participants included herein, 50 (55.5%) and 40 (44.5%) were female and male, respectively, with an average age of 56.2 +/- 14 years. Mean Ki-67 values were 10.56% (SD 12.41, range 0-60), while the mean follow-up duration was 39.1 months (SD 26.3). Low- and high-grade patients had a mean Ki-67 score of 4.31% (SD 3.58, range 0-16) and 19.92% (SD 14.91, range 2-60) (p = 0.0001). Our results showed a moderate positive correlation between Ki-67 score and the presence of hTERT mutation (Pearson correlation lest, r = 0.5161; p = 0.0001). Patients with an hTERT mutation > 30% had significantly higher risk for reoperation than those with lower levels of mutation (p = 0.016, chi square test). None of the patients requiring reoperation had an hTERT mutation < 10%. Moreover, high-grade patients had a 7.2 times higher risk of reoperation than those with an hTERT mutation > 30%. Conclusion: The presence of hTERT mutation, in addition to high Ki-67, indicated a more aggressive meningioma disease course and potentially increased risk of recurrence.