Hepatopulmonary masses after eating Romaine lettuce.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Recep Ozturk.
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Acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is frequent in developing countries. Although some gallbladder abnormalities are defined during the course, an acute cholecystitis is extremely rare. We here report 2 additional cases of cholecystitis due to acute HAV infection and review the previously reported 2 cases. One of our patients was admitted with jaundice and a suspicious portal mass with a presumed diagnosis of cholagiocarcinoma. The other presented with jaundice, abdominal pain, and constitutional symptoms. Both patients were planned to be operated on. During the follow-up, absence of fever, leukocytosis, acute-phase protein response, and calculus in biliary system were against the diagnosis of a bacterial cholecystitis. Moreover the course of cholecystitis was closely parallel to that of the HAV infection. Both patients were managed conservatively. It was concluded that rare, acute viral cholecystitis can develop during the course of acute HAV infection.
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We describe a unique patient whose clinical and laboratory findings fulfill diagnostic criteria of adult onset Still's disease and at the same time, this case was complicated by aseptic meningitis with neutrophilic pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid, as well as sensorineural hearing loss. The symptoms of the patient improved greatly with prednisolone therapy. Some studies in the literature suggest that this disease may lead to aseptic meningitis with neutrophilic pleocytosis.
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is defined as the occurrence of thrombosis, recurrent miscarriage, or both in association with laboratory evidence of persistent antiphospholipid antibodies. Owing to protean manifestations and laboratory studies, the diagnosis may be difficult. Because the other signs and symptoms of thrombosis are predominant, prolonged fever is not usually the main clinical finding. We describe a patient who presented with fever of unknown origin (FUO) and was found to have thromboses of the splenic vein, the superior mesenteric vein, and the portal vein due to the primary antiphospholipid syndrome. We also reviewed the medical literature (Medline 1966-2001), including the main FUO series of the previous 40 years, and laparotomy series for FUO. We conclude that although very rare, primary APS and thrombosis may present with FUO. APS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of prolonged fever associated with thrombosis.
The diagnosis of brucellosis is generally made when a standard tube agglutination titer of 1/160 or more for anti-Brucella antibodies in the presence of compatible clinical signs and symptoms. However isolation of the organism from blood or bone marrow is the proof of the disease. In this study we aimed to describe the rate and duration of isolation of Brucella spp. from blood and bone marrow by use of automated blood culture system (BACTEC 9240). Between 1997 to 2001, 23 adults were diagnosed as brucellosis. Blood culture was obtained in all and simultaneous bone marrow culture in 18 and both specimens were cultured by BACTEC 9240. Brucella was isolated from blood and bone marrow cultures in 19 (82.6%) and 13 (81.2%) respectively. All positive blood cultures yielded within 7 days and bone marrow cultures in 4 days. We concluded that automated BACTEC culture systems can isolate Brucella spp. in a fast and efficient way.
In a retrospective evaluation, the incidence of systemic fungal infections (SFIs) in 296 kidney graft recipients admitted to our center between 1986 and 1999 was found to be 4%. Eighteen percent of 28 recipients transplanted in India and 8% of 12 recipients transplanted in Russia developed SFI. In contrast, SFI was encountered in only 2% of recipients transplanted at our center. The median time of diagnosis of SFI was 5 months after transplantation. The lungs and central nervous system were the most frequently affected sites. The most common etiologic agent was Aspergillus fumigatus (n = 7) but Candida spp. (n = 1), Rhizopus spp. (n = 1) and Cryptococcus neoformans (n = 1) were also encountered. In 2 patients, 2 different pathogens were isolated at the same time: A. fumigatus and Rhizopus spp. in 1 patient and Candida spp. and A. fumigatus in another. In order to determine predisposing factors for SFI, patients admitted immediately before and after those with SFI were used as controls: long-term hospitalization, long-term antibiotic use and post-transplant diabetes mellitus were found to be predisposing factors. Eight patients were treated with antifungal drugs and a good response to liposomal amphotericin B therapy was obtained in 3/5. Nine patients (75%) with SFI died. As SFIs are associated with a high mortality rate in renal transplant recipients, antifungal therapy, especially with liposomal amphotericin B, should be started whenever fungal infection is suspected, even before the results of microbiologic and/or histologic examinations are known.
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Brucellosis is an infectious disease with multisystemic involvement caused by the genus Brucella. Neurological complications, including meningitis, meningoencephalitis, myelitis-radiculoneuritis, brain abscess, epidural abscess and meningovascular syndromes, are rarely encountered. We present a patient with epileptic seizures and aggressive mood due to chronic neurobrucellosis of 2.5 y duration, which was misdiagnosed as bacterial meningitis and epilepsy. This form of presentation has not previously been reported in the English language literature. We conclude that the diagnosis of neurobrucellosis should be considered in patients presenting with recurrent or chronic meningitis syndromes with or without seizure from endemic areas for brucellosis.
Pyrimethamine is used for the treatment of toxoplasmosis and the prophylaxis of malaria. Among the well-documented side effects are megaloblastic anemia, leukopenia, thrombopenia, rash, vomiting, and diarrhea. Hyperpigmentation is a very rare side effect. In some patients, associated HIV infection makes it difficult to distinguish the reasons for the etiology. We herein describe an HIV-negative patient who developed hyperpigmentation after pyrimethamine use.
Endocarditis is a rare complication of brucellosis but it is the main cause of the mortality in this disease. The accepted treatment for Brucella endocarditis (BE) is a combination of valve replacement and antibiotics. Conservative antibiotic treatment alone is not recommended by most of the authors as it is considered ineffective and increase the risk of fatality. In our literature search, we found 14 adult patients with BE treated only with antibiotics with a favorable outcome. In this report, we described a patient treated with antibiotics alone and reviewed the literature. Depending on the data from the growing literature and our patient we suggest that in selected patients with BE who do not have congestive heart failure, valvular destruction, abscess formation, or a prosthetic valve, conservative antibiotic treatment may be a valid alternative to surgery.
Recently, an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (PER-1) was found to be disseminated among Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonasaeruginosa isolates in Turkey. A population-based cohort study was conducted to elucidate predictive mortality factors in patients with nosocomial infections caused by Acinetobacter spp. and P. aeruginosa, with particular reference to PER-1-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production. The study group comprised 16 and 21 non-survivors and 82 and 126 survivors in cohorts infected with Acinetobacter and P. aeruginosa, respectively. In the Acinetobacter-infected cohort, nosocomial pneumonia, hypotension and infection with a PER-positive isolate were independent predictors of mortality. In the P. aeruginosa-infected cohort, impaired consciousness, a PER-positive isolate, male sex and (with a negative relative risk) urinary tract infection were independent predictors of death. This study demonstrated the relationship of PER-1-type ESBL-producing Acinetobacter spp. and P. aeruginosa with poor clinical outcome.
Losartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, is widely used for the treatment of hypertension. Clinical experience with this drug has demonstrated that it is safe. Losartan-induced hepatic toxicity is extremely rare. We report a case of severe hepatic toxicity and fibrosis caused by losartan use, and we review four previously reported cases. Drug-induced hepatic injury may be seen during the treatment of hypertension by losartan and the clinician should be aware of this toxicity, especially during the initial phase of treatment.
PURPOSE: To investigate the penetration of cefepime (a fourth-generation cephalosporin) into the vitreous after single-dose intravenous administration to human subjects. METHODS: Thirty phakic patients about to undergo vitreous surgery received 1 g (group 1, 15 patients) or 2 g cefepime (group 2, 15 patients) in a single intravenous injection before surgery. The indications for vitreous surgery were retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (24 patients), retinal detachment associated with giant retinal tear (4 patients), macular hole (1 patient) and intraocular foreign body (1 patient). Samples of vitreous and serum were obtained at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 12 h after injection. Three patients were used for each sampling time and for 1 g and 2 g of cefepime. Samples were assayed for cefepime concentrations with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: All the patients had detectable cefepime in their vitreous and serum measurable by HPLC. The level of cefepime in the vitreous peaked at 2 h and reached a minimum at 12 h after intravenous injection in both groups. A mean peak vitreous level of cefepime was 1.91 +/- 0.13 microg/ml in group 1 and 2.86 +/- 0.37 microg/ml in group 2. The level of cefepime in the vitreous at 12 h after injection was 0.89 +/- 0.14 microg/ml in group 1 and 0.97 +/- 0.30 microg/ml in group 2. CONCLUSION: The vitreous level of cefepime after intravenous injection was below the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC(90)) against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but was over the MIC(90) against Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella spp., Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes and Enterobacter spp.
PURPOSE: To assay the vitreous of asymptomatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers for the presence of HBV DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). METHODS: Vitreous and serum specimens were collected from 13 carriers of HBV. The presence of HBV DNA was investigated by using PCR and Digene's Hybrid Capture System. The presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in vitreous was also investigated by using the enzyme immunoassay (EIA). RESULTS: The serum was positive for HBV DNA in3 of the 13 asymptomatic carriers using PCR. Vitreous samples of all the patients, including 3 patients who were positive for HBV DNA in serum, were negative for HBV DNA with PCR and were negative for HBsAg with EIA. CONCLUSION: There is no evidence of HBV in the vitreous of asymptomatic HBV carriers.
Direct coronary stenting without balloon predilation has the potential benefits of a reduced risk of extended dissections, reduced fluoroscopy exposure, reduced procedural time, and potential cost savings. The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of angiographically successful direct stent implantation and conventional stent implantation (stent implantation following predilation) on minor myocardial injury characterized by cardiac troponin I (cTn-I), and cardiac troponin T (cTn-T) elevation. The authors prospectively studied 42 patients who had successful direct stent implantation, and 49 patients who had successful conventional stent implantation. Blood samples for measurement of cTn-I and cTn-T were taken before, and immediately after the procedure, and every 6 hours for the first 24 hours. cTn-T elevation was observed in 6 patients (14.3%) in the direct stent implantation group, and in 16 patients (32.6%) in the conventional stent implantation group (p: 0.03). Similarly cTn-I elevation was more frequent in the conventional stent implantation group (20 patients, 40.8%) than direct stent implantation group (7 patients, 16.7%, p: 0.02). Stent implantation following predilation is more frequently associated with postprocedural minor myocardial injury than direct stent implantation.