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Biomedical subjects

Levent Ozçakar

Publications and source records attributed to Levent Ozçakar.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors reduce the attack frequency in familial mediterranean Fever.

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is characterized by recurrent acute attacks of fever and serositis, and colchicine is the primary treatment. The pathogenesis of the disease has not been fully understood. Resistance to colchicine remains to be a problem in up to 30% of the patients and yet there seems to be no alternative treatment. In this study our objective was to investigate whether a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) could affect the attack frequency and acute phase response in FMF patients who were unresponsive to colchicine. We retrospectively evaluated the hospital files of 11 colchicine-unresponsive FMF patients who had been treated with SSRIs. According to the records and re-evaluation of the patients, the total number of the FMF attacks was calculated before and after the SSRI, adjunct to colchicine. The laboratory values including erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and white blood cell counts were also noted before and after the SSRI treatment from their hospital files. The mean attack frequency before adding SSRI to colchicine was 8.09 +/- 3.53 per 6 months, and at the end of this period there was a great decline in the number of mean attack frequency (0.36 +/- 0.50 attacks per 6 months) (p < 0.001). Acute phase reactants were significantly decreased after SSRI treatment (p < 0.001). All of the colchicine-unresponsive patients had depression and 3 of those patients also had fibromyalgia. SSRIs appear to be useful adjuncts in the management of FMF patients who continue to have attacks despite regular colchicine treatment.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗
PubMed2006

Thoracic outlet syndrome: another cause for unilateral palmar hyperhidrosis.

One of the most important therapeutic goal in hyperhidrosis treatment is to seek for the underlying cause and to tailor the treatment accordingly. A detailed history and prompt physical examination are needed to clarify the etiological factor. In this study, we report a 34-year-old woman with a diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome presenting with complaints of pain, numbness, and fatigue in her left arm and ipsilateral palmar hyperhidrosis. Thus, we want to highlight a specific potential cause of secondary hyperhidrosis, which can otherwise be easily overlooked, and furthermore, which has a completely different treatment strategy.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Sonographic evaluation of the tendons in familial Mediterranean fever and Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVES: There have been some studies on the burden of certain rheumatological disorders on the tendons; however, patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and Behçet's disease (BD) have not, up to now, been studied in this regard in the literature. Thus, this current study centers on ensuing changes in the tendons of these patients. METHODS: The study comprised 32 patients with FMF (13 male, 19 female), 31 with BD (18 male, 13 female) and 35 control subjects (17 male, 18 female). Sonographical evaluations were performed from the triceps, quadriceps and Achilles tendons on the non-dominant extremities of the individuals using a linear array probe of 8-16 MHz. RESULTS: The mean triceps tendon (TT) thickness value of FMF patients was greater than that of BD patients (P=0.03) or the controls' (P=0.02). The mean quadriceps tendon (QT) thickness value of BD patients was greater than that of FMF patients (P=0.00) or the controls' (P=0.01). The mean Achilles tendon (AT) thickness value of BD patients was greater than that of controls' (P=0.05) only. There was not any difference between the tendon thickness measurements of either group of patients with and without arthritic involvement. CONCLUSION: Our first and preliminary findings pertaining to increased tendon thicknesses in FMF (TT) and BD (QT and AT) patients should be complemented with future histological and clinical studies. The functional relevance of tendon thickening, its probable reflection on the rupture risk and the role of each disease related contributing factor remain to be uncovered.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed2006

Thoracic outlet syndrome in an adolescent with bilateral bifid ribs.

Reported here is a 13-year-old girl suffering from pain in her right lower neck region and the shoulder for the preceding 2-3 years. She was diagnosed to have right thoracic outlet syndrome due to bifid ribs--caused by the bony fusion of the variant cervical rib. She was operated via supraclavicular approach, whereby the variant cervical rib and the fibrous bands were excised. She was found to be quite improved 1 month after surgery. Thoracic outlet syndrome, a rare disease of childhood, is discussed in the light of the relevant literature.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Inadvertent lumbosacral plexopathy due to temporary pacemaker implantation.

Reported here is a 70-year-old man who suffered from a lumbosacral plexopathy after a temporary pacemaker implantation. Drawing attention to the increased number of femoral catheterizations in cardiovascular practice, we have highlighted some neuromuscular complications pertaining to these type of interventions.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Cauda equina syndrome as a rare manifestation of leukemia relapse during postallograft period.

Here we report a 41-year-old woman with the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. While being followed on remission after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, she developed systemic and central nervous system (CNS) relapse. CNS involvement presented first with meningeal irritation signs and then with cauda equina syndrome (CES). We define an interesting presentation of CES as abdominal pain and discuss the rare coexistence of the syndrome and leukemia under the light of the pertinent literature.

Abdominal Pain↗