Urinary lithiasis is a common pathology in the modern era. Its significance lies in the possible complications that may arise as well as in its potential for recurrence. The treatment and prevention of recurrences of urinary lithiasis often require the intervention of several specialists: urologists, nephrologists, endocrinologists, nutritionists, biochemists, etc. In the last 20 years, the treatment strategy for urinary lithiasis has changed, with minimally invasive methods replacing laparoscopic or open surgery. These are effective and have rare complications. Whichever treatment method is chosen, it may be necessary to temporarily divert the upper urinary tract by inserting double J catheters for preventive, curative, or palliative purposes. Ureteral catheters have had to be improved over time to avoid two major incidents: their migration and colonization. Various materials were used, varying the shape, size, length, guide as well as approaches. The urinary infection-urolithiasis association is frequent, without always being able to specify the cause-effect relationship. The rate of urinary colonization appears to be influenced by the presence of stent colonization as well as the time since the implant. The association of chronic diseases or emergency insertion is associated with an increased risk of urinary colonization. Complications induced by the time of the double J catheter being implanted are rare, and minor and disappear with its removal. In the case of failure to insert a double J ureteral catheter, the alternative would be to perform an ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy. Double J ureteral catheter insertion is an effective minimally invasive option in the treatment of obstructive urolithiasis.
Since vitamin D is synthesized from cholesterol, it is claimed to be associated with insulin resistance, suggesting that there may be an association between vitamin D glucose and lipids. For this reason, we aimed to investigate a relationship between vitamin D and biochemical parameters, including glucose and lipids. This cross-sectional study included 198 patients .admitted to the family medicine outpatient clinic between June and December 2016. There was no significant correlation between vitamin D and serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, calcium, magnesium, sodium, TSH, and body mass index values in both men and women. There was a correlation between vitamin D and total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in the younger subjects below 41 years (p=0.002). Regression analysis with other variables showed no statistical significance between vitamin D levels on LDL-C levels (P=0.309). Despite previous studies, our study did not confirm the effects of vitamin D on serum glucose, lipid, calcium, and other biochemical parameters. However, these results suggest that the standard up-to-date literature showing the relationship between vitamin D and various metabolic and hormonal disorders may need to be confirmed by new large-scale studies.
A rise in mortality due to fungal infections in an immunocompromised population has been observed lately. Nowadays, due to increased fungal infections, the limitations encountered in their treatment like resistance, side-effects, and high toxicity, the rising prescription and overuse of conventional antifungals all stimulate a search for alternative natural drugs therefore we are in dire need of natural newer strategies that involve reliable agents for the treatment of fungal diseases such as essential oils are known for their anti-microbial properties and are multi-component. Materials & Methods: Soil samples (66 samples) were collected from different agricultural fields and animals habitat of Saharanpur (U.P.) Isolation of keratinophilic fungi was carried out by the hair-baiting technique. Extraction of Mentha piperita & Cinnamonum vernum essential oil was carried out by hydrodistillation method and the chemical composition of both extracted essential oils was determined by Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrophotometry. Antimycotic studies of essential oils were done by the standard disc diffusion method. Results & Discussion: In the present study, the antifungal potential of Mentha piperita & Cinnamonum vernum essential oils were evaluated against three human pathogenic fungi isolated from the soil of agricultural field and animals habitat of Saharanpur (U.P.) i.e Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T.tonsurans, and T.equinum. The chemical composition of Mentha piperita & Cinnamonum vernum EO was analyzed by GC-MS. Menthol (53.28%) was the major compound of the Mentha piperita EO followed by Menthyl acetate (15.1%) and Menthofuran (11.18%). Major constituents of Cinnamonum vernum EO were linalool (8%), (E)- cinnamaldehyde (7.2%), β-caryophyllene (7.4%), eucalyptol (6.4%), and eugenol (5.6%). Conclusion: Essential oils of Mentha piperita & Cinnamonum vernum have been found to have remarkable & excellent antifungal activity against these pathogenic fungi. Present findings conclude that natural products like plant-derived EOs instead of chemotherapy and the emergence of resistance to antifungal drugs can be regarded as an environmental safety mode of disease control against pathogens.
Background: It is well known that patients with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) are at increased risk of developing cerebral aneurysms, however, this association has not been well studied for patients with polycystic liver disease (PLD). Material and methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study, which included 15 adult patients diagnosed with polycystic liver disease at the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Fundeni Clinical Institute. Standard neurological exam and brain MRI were performed in all patients on a 1.5 Tesla MRI. Brain imaging protocol included T1/T2, T1SE, T2-FLAIR, DWI, SWI, 2D-TOF, 3D-TOF. Results: The majority of patients (93%) were females. The mean age was 53 ± 5 years old. Patients with AD-PKD and polycystic hepatic disease predominated (60%). Aneurysms were found in only one patient diagnosed with AD-PKD (in whom three aneurysms were described). The overall prevalence of cerebral aneurysms in our patient group was 7%. However, none of the patients with isolated PLD was found to have intracranial aneurysms. Other brain imaging abnormalities were frequent but nonspecific (mostly attributable to vascular-degenerative changes). Conclusions: Given these results, and due to the small number of patients in our study, it is hard to appreciate if polycystic liver disease is indeed associated with an increased risk of cerebral aneurysms.
A successful nose reconstruction is represented by a normal look and nasal breathing preservation. The choice of method is based on the site, size, depth of the defect, donor availability, and surgeon experience. There are multiple methods of restoring nasal cover, from primary repair to healing by secondary intention, from primary suture, skin graft to locoregional flaps, but all of them should be integrated into a personalized approach, keeping the nasal functions, a good aesthetic outcome and without any tumor infiltration. This paper consisting of a retrospective study of 9 patients diagnosticated with squamous cell carcinoma revealed the importance of skin properties and skin changes during aging. Despite all aesthetic principles, skin is the most important resource in facial reconstruction.
According to the results of the conducted study there were distinguished the peculiarities of perception of the image of a junior officer by servicemen who participated in hostilities and had various PTSD symptoms. The study included 233 male servicemen with combat experience. The age of the participants varied from 20 to 55 years. It was determined that the image perception of the direct commander by the servicemen who did not have any PTSD symptoms had been influenced by both the key features of the modern way of fighting and the way a protective mechanism of consciousness acted, which gave the possibility to maintain mental health under combat conditions. These servicemen considered the awareness, kindness, and physical strength of their commander to be not important. The first stage was occupied by his/her ability to adequately fulfill his/her leadership function and the power of his/her spirit – the courage and love of the Motherland, which formed his/her reliability. Servicemen who had PTSD symptoms were less satisfied with the role of a junior officer and considered him/her to be less capable of meeting their expectations. They were less interested in commanders who could involve them in situations that required quick, brave action and complete responsibility for the entrusted part of common affairs. The most important factors in the structure of the direct commander image in both studied groups were the power of personality (the ability of self-regulation); however, the servicemen with PTSD symptoms had a specific orientation of these factors – to help their subordinates. They were quite selfishly aimed at using their direct commanders as a way of getting help.
Diabetic foot is one of the main long-term complications of diabetes, having a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life. However, prevention by daily checking of the limbs and observance of the rules of care remains particularly important to avoid total or partial amputation. This paper aims to highlight the main challenges and progress in the treatment of the diabetic foot. To achieve this, we analyzed a database consisting of more than 100 articles published in recent years, approaching the treatment of the diabetic foot. The main problems that occur with the diabetic foot are peripheral vascular disease and diabetic neuropathy. These can lead to blisters and skin lesions that can eventually lead to ulcers in the lower limbs and even amputation. In conclusion, prevention is the main method of treatment for diabetic foot, followed by the treatment of each complication depending on when it is identified and its severity.
Obesity affects the population worldwide. A hypercaloric diet associated with a sedentary life, stress, and genetic background, triggers various metabolic disorders, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cognitive impairment. A healthy diet correlated with physical activity, not smoking, and moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of developing metabolic diseases. The Mediterranean diet contains antioxidants, fiber, polyunsaturated fats, and compounds with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity properties. In a wide variety of species including humans, the reduction of calories between 20-40% significantly improves health, increases longevity, and delays the development of various pathologies. The main aim of this review is to present the comparative effects of the Mediterranean diet versus the hypercaloric diet on insulin sensitivity.
Pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors that frequently have genetic involvement and can present a particular risk in terms of the anesthetic-surgical procedure. Current worldwide medical recommendations state that laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the conventional treatment for pheochromocytoma, however, the ideal surgical strategy is still being developed as specialized surgeons gain experience with these rare tumors. The study's purpose was to thoroughly evaluate our film library and identify the best surgical steps that represent our standardized procedure. We developed a comprehensive set of surgical critical strategies for either a left or right adrenalectomy, providing helpful advice on patient positioning, port placement, the adrenal gland approach, as well as other surgical methods specifically designed for tumor mobilization and dissection. The current paper aims to synthesize our clinical experience in terms of preoperative preparation, patient positioning, intraoperative complications, causes of conversion, and specimen extraction. The main conclusions concern both the best surgical approach and the importance of surgical experience in the clinical management of these rare tumor types.
Angiosarcoma is a malignant tumor derived from the endothelium of the blood and lymphatic vessels. Its aggressive behavior results in a poor prognosis for the patients. Radiation-associated angiosarcoma is a rare recently described particular subtype of angiosarcoma best shown in patients after treatment of breast cancer. The latency period of development is approximately 8 years, thus the 5-year standard follow-up after mammary neoplasm therapy needs to be extended up to 10 years. Radiotherapy is an independent risk factor for angiosarcoma development. Rapid diagnosis is essential for prompt therapeutical intervention to improve the patient’s prognosis. The importance of early diagnosis is emphasized by a case of a 54 years old woman, with a diagnosis of breast cancer treated by sectorectomy and radiotherapy 7 years prior, presenting to our Dermatology Department for the recent occurence of erythemato-violaceous cutaneous patches on the area subjected to radiotherapy.
