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Biomedical subjects

S Baltaci

Publications and source records attributed to S Baltaci.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Urological evaluation of Behçet patients and the effect of colchicine on fertility.

Behçet's disease is a multisystem disorder in which urogenital involvement mainly consists of genital aphthous ulcers, epididymitis, urethritis and recurrent cystitis. Colchicine is commonly used in these patients for the prevention of arthritic episodes. In this prospective study, 62 male patients under colchicine therapy for Behçet's disease underwent a complete urogenital evaluation. 33 (53.2%) had no urologic complaints. Physical examination revealed genital aphthous ulcers in 42 patients (67.7%) and epididymitis in 5 (8.1%). Analysis of urine specimens demonstrated proteinuria in 54.8% and hematuria in 30.6%. To establish any possible adverse effects of colchicine administration on male fertility, sperm analysis was performed: 23 patients (37.1%) had oligonecrospermia, 2 patients (3.2%) had azoospermia. Penile color flow Doppler sonography revealed arterial insufficiency in 17 patients (27.4%). Other urological findings were interpreted as coincidental. Our results indicate that urologic manifestations of Behçet's disease, and especially the possible adverse effects of colchicine administration on the reproductive potential of the treated patients should be carefully monitored.

Adult↗

Selection of patients for intravesical therapy for superficial bladder cancer.

In a nonrandomized retrospective study, 133 patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were evaluated to identify any clinical prognostic features which indicate the necessity of intravesical therapy (IVT). The risk factors taken into account were stage, grade and multiplicity of the tumour. All patients were treated initially by complete transurethral resection (TUR); 27 patients received no further treatment after resection of the tumour, 106 patients received adjuvant IVT over a period of 6 weeks. The mean follow-up was 23 and 18.8 months in the TUR-only group and TUR+IVT group, respectively. In the TUR-only group 7 and in the TUR+IVT group 29 recurrences were encountered. Patient group with no risk factors (Ta, GI, solitary tumour) or with only one risk factor revealed no statistical difference in terms of the recurrence rate from the identical control group. So it does not seem worthwhile to give additional therapy in the low-risk group. Another notable outcome of this study was that the higher the potential risk factors, the higher the likelihood of recurrence. The results suggest that T1 tumours, multifocal tumours, and high-grade tumours have poor prognosis, making additional treatment necessary.

Administration, Intravesical↗

The significance of histopathological changes of the normal tunica albuginea in Peyronie's disease.

Five patients with Peyronie's disease were operated and the tissue specimens from the plaque involving the tunica albuginea and from the tunica of the unaffected contralateral side were obtained. The specimens were then subjected to histopathological examination and the findings were correlated with those of men proved not to have Peyronie's disease but operated for other reasons. In the specimen of plaque, the changes varied from collagen destruction to cartilaginous and osseous metaplasia. However, in the tunica of the contralateral side the changes such as disregularity of collagen bundles extending even to widespread focal areas, and appearance of pale, rough, eosinophilic collagen degeneration, instead of its characteristic bright birefringence, and focal mucinous degeneration were noted. Interestingly, these alterations were not observed in the specimens of normal tunica albuginea in the control group. But the existence of minimal alterations, the regularity in the apparently normal contralateral tunica albuginea specimens in Peyronie's disease implied that there was an active turnover in collagen production, and the possible factor causing collagen degeneration and so plaque formation was probably the microtraumatization of the tunica albuginea.

Adult↗

Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy in anomalous kidneys.

Traditionally, stones in anomalous kidneys have been removed by open or percutaneous surgery. Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) with the Dornier MPL 9000 lithotripter was performed in seven patients with horseshoe kidneys, four with pelvic ectopic kidneys, and six with malrotated kidneys. Twelve patients (71%) needed repeated treatments. A total of 11 patients (65%) in all the groups were stone free, and four patients had asymptomatic residual fragments no more than 5 mm in diameter. In the remaining two patients, no sign of stone disintegration was observed, and they underwent open surgery. Extracorporeal lithotripsy is the treatment of choice for stones in horseshoe or malrotated kidneys but is not useful for stones in most pelvic kidneys.

Female↗

Color flow Doppler sonography in the diagnosis of vesicoureteric reflux.

We describe an alternative technique using color flow Doppler sonography (CFDS) for detection of vesicoureteric reflux (VUR). Twenty-one children, ages 2-16 years, were investigated for VUR using voiding cystourethrography (VCU) and CFDS. Forty-two ureterovesical junctions were studied and a total of 27 were found to be refluxing at VCU. Five of these 21 patients were operated for VUR and they were also reevaluated 3 and 6 months after the operation. With good diuresis ureteric jets could easily be detected with CFDS and if there was a reflux of urine into the ureter this could also be displayed. Afterwards, the patient was asked to urinate and if reflux into the ureter was detected, particular attention was paid to the detection of ureteral and pelvicalyceal dilatation by conventional gray-scale sonography. Taking VCU as the gold standard, CFDS revealed reflux in all cases except 1. There were 3 patients who had only one-sided reflux at VCU and bilateral reflux at CFDS examination (false-positive: 20%). Correlation of CFDS and VCU was 90, 100 and 75% in low grade, grade III and grade IV reflux, respectively. The results of CFDS correlated well with the results of VCU during the follow-up of 5 patients who had antireflux operations. As a conclusion, CFDS could be used as an adjunct to standard ultrasonography for detection of VUR.

Algorithms↗

Adenosine: a new agent in the diagnosis of impotence.

The haemodynamic effects of different dosages of adenosine were studied using colour flow Doppler sonography (CFDS) in 33 men, whose penile vascular bed responded well to papaverine. In six cases, we injected 25, 50, 100, 250 micrograms dosages of adenosine intracavernously at 15 min intervals and no erection occurred. However, 500 and 1000 micrograms doses of adenosine increased the arterial blood velocities for a few seconds in five cases. Later on, in eight cases, we infused 80 and 120 micrograms/kg/min adenosine for 3 min and only with 120 micrograms/kg/min dosage, did we observe clinical response and significant changes in CFDS parameters. Finally, 120 micrograms/kg/min adenosine dosage was infused for 10 min in 14 men and eight showed full erection while six had only tumescence. As adenosine was rapidly metabolized by adenosine deaminase, the erection lasted for only 5 to 13 min. No prolonged erection and no other side-effect was observed. In addition no fibrosis and curvature was detected 6 months after the injections. We found that, in men, 10 min infusion of 120 micrograms/kg/min adenosine increased the arterial flow and to some extent venous resistance, resulting in full erection or tumescence. Therefore, adenosine may be used as an agent for the diagnosis of vasculogenic impotence, but further studies for determining the standard dosage of adenosine are needed.

Adenosine↗

Use of color Doppler sonography in the evaluation of varicoceles.

Color flow Doppler sonography (CFDS) has been used to evaluate the blood flow to the testes, because of its ability to visualize small vessels with low flow. A total of 39 infertile men, 18 with clinical varicocele and 21 without, were examined using CFDS to assess the clinical usefulness of this technique. In patients with varicocele, venous diameter in the pampiniform plexus was greater than 2 mm, whereas those without varicocele showed diameters of less than 1.8 mm. Of 21 patients without varicocele on physical examination, 13 were found to have reflux by CFDS. According to clinical and CFDS findings, patients were divided into five groups: varicocele negative, suspicious subclinical varicocele, subclinical varicocele, manifest varicocele with Valsalva-induced reflux, and manifest varicocele. These data suggest that the CFDS technique is a simple, sensitive and noninvasive modality for the accurate diagnosis of varicocele.

Adult↗

Long-term follow-up after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of large kidney stones.

In 76 patients (53 women and 23 men) aged 24-92 years, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed between June 1986 and December 1988 as monotherapy for large kidney stones (diameter > 2.5 cm). There were 41 complete and 24 partial staghorn calculi. The patients were treated with the Dornier HM3 lithotripter under sedoanalgesia. Of the 60 patients with large stones whose last ESWL treatment had been at least 24 months earlier, only 15 ultimately came for this long-term control check-up. Reports on 15 other patients were received from their doctors stating that the patients were doing well, not having new stone episodes. These subjects had to be excluded from final evaluation since they did not fulfill all requirements. Thirty patients had either moved out of the area or were from distant locations and therefore unable to appear. Creatinine was normal and urinalyses negative in these 15 patients; 12/15 were stone-free. The ones who were not had small remnants in the lower pole calices which did no harm at all. One patient already had elevated pretreatment blood pressure; 6/14 with normal blood pressure before ESWL showed elevated values 30 or more months after the last ESWL. Radioisotope examinations with separate clearance tests demonstrated no real evidence of loss of kidney function on the treated in comparison with the untreated side. Sonographic findings on the longitudinal and transverse diameter of the treated and untreated kidneys with regard to the total number of shock waves did not show marked differences as they all remained below the 9% limit.

Adult↗

Histopathological alterations of deep dorsal penile vein in venogenic impotence.

The mechanism and hemodynamics of penile veins in erection have long been a matter of controversy and hypotheses. With the intention to develop a new concept of venous ultrastructure in penile venous insufficiency, we studied the histopathology of 13 dorsal penile veins obtained from important patients during venous ligation because of proven venous leakage. Besides, 1 normal deep dorsal vein taken from a volunteer who underwent another type of penile operation was also examined. All sections were stained with hematoxylineosin, Gomori trichrome, periodic acid-Schiff, Gomori reticulum and Verhoeff elastic stains. All 13 veins showed some significant histological changes namely nodular hypertrophy in 7, nodular atrophy in 2, diffuse atrophy in 2, diffuse hypertrophy in 1 and minimal changes in 1. In general, the dominating histological appearance was hypertrophy of the muscular pattern and enhancement of collagenization. None of these alterations was prevalent in the normal control. The cause and the result relationship between venous leakage and the mentioned histological changes still remains a matter of debate.

Adult↗

Intrascrotal extratesticular malignant schwannoma.

We report a rare case of intrascrotal extratesticular malignant schwannoma with rhabdomyoblastic features in a 48-year-old man. Malignant schwannomas, which arise from the peripheral nerves, usually occur in the extremities, the trunk or paravertebral areas. The patient had no manifestation of von Recklinghausen's disease. To our knowledge, there has been no intrascrotal extratesticular malignant schwannoma reported.

Genital Neoplasms, Male↗

Long term follow-up after ESWL of large kidney stones.

In 76 patients (53 women and 23 men) aged 24-92 years, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed between June 1986 and December 1988 as monotherapy for large kidney stones (diameter > 2.5 cm). There were 41 complete and 24 partial staghorn calculi. The patients were treated with the Dornier HM3 lithotripter under sedoanalgesia. Of the 60 patients with large stones whose last ESWL treatment was at least 24 months earlier, only 15 ultimately came for this long-term control check-up. Reports on 15 other patients were received from their doctors stating that the patients were doing well, not having new stone episodes. These subjects had to be excluded from final evaluation since they did not fulfill all requirements. Thirty patients had either moved out of the area or were from distant locations and therefore unable to appear. Creatinine was normal and urinalyses negative in these 15 patients; 12/15 were stone-free. The ones who were not had small remnants in the lower pole calices which did no harm at all. One patient already had elevated pretreatment blood pressure; 6/14 with normal blood pressure before ESWL showed elevated values 30 or more months after hte last ESWL. Radio-isotope examinations with separate clearance tests demonstrated no real evidence of loss of kidney function on the treated in comparison with the untreated side. Sonographic findings on the longitudinal and transverse diameter of the treated and untreated kidneys with regard to total number of shock waves did not show marked differences as they all remained below the 9% limit.

Adult↗

Treatment of impotence due to venous leakage by resection of the deep dorsal vein of the penis.

Ligation and resection of the deep dorsal vein of the penis is a surgical approach to restore potency in venogenic impotence. Between December 1989 and December 1990, we treated 25 men with venogenic impotence by this technique. Additionally, the Nesbit operation was performed in 3 cases due to penile curvature and in 1 case a penile plaque was excised. The patients were asked to come for control 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. In 14 patients the rigidity and duration of erections were improved 3 months after surgery but, in 21 of the 25 men, erectile dysfunction recurred 6-15 months (average 9.4 months) following surgery and penile prostheses were implanted in 7 cases. The complications were orchiepididymitis in 1 case, penile edema and hyperemia which lasted for 1 week in 1 patient and numbness near the incision site in 10 cases. We conclude that, in patients who had erectile impotence due to venous leakage, resection of the deep dorsal vein of the penis could provide a transient satisfactory result, but should not be considered as a long-term treatment modality.

Adult↗

Increasing infertility in myotonia dystrophica Curschmann-Steinert. A case report.

A 26-year-old male came to our andrologic out-patient clinic because of his desire to have children. Preliminary examinations revealed a varicocele left and a subclinical varicocele right. Testicular volume was smaller than normal, and spermiogram values were already poor (vitality, motility and morphology). Basic hormones were normal. The anamnesis gave no information on hereditary disorders. Surgical treatment of the varicocele did not bring the desired outcome. A testicular biopsy showed Leydig cell hyperplasia with strongly reduced spermiohistogenesis. In a renewed and extensive anamnesis, the patient revealed that he suffers from myotonia dystrophica Curschmann-Steinert. This disorder causes sclerosis of the tubuli seminiferi contorti, which can ultimately lead to azoospermia.

Adult↗