Proliferative actinic keratosis: An invasive squamous cell carcinoma or not?

Actinic keratoses have variants that differ clinically and pathologically. Proliferative actinic keratoses (PAK) are known to be resistant against standard therapies and to create a tendency for the development of invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 50 patients with 51 PAK lesions. Fifty patients (40 male, 10 female) with a mean age of 68.5 were included in the study. Thirty-two (63%) PAK lesions were clinically selected for total excision but only 27 of them could be totally excised. Among the excised lesions, 13 were reported to be PAK, 13 were SCC, and 1 was keratoacanthoma. There was no significant difference between the PAK and SCC groups. Overall, the groups with excised and unexcised lesions were statistically similar with respect to age, sex, lesion duration, localization, size, and surface features, but induration was more common in the SCC group. The mean follow-up time was 19.7 and 17.0 months in the PAK and SCC group, respectively. In conclusion, 25% (13/51) of lesions diagnosed as PAK were invasive SCC, which is of clinical and histopathological significance. Our results suggest that the definition of PAK should be histopathologically revised and that total excisional biopsy instead of punch biopsy should be considered, especially for lesions with a proliferative appearance. </p

What necessitates the conversion to open cholecystectomy? A retrospective analysis of 5164 consecutive laparoscopic operations

OBJECTIVE: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become the gold standard for the surgical treatment of gallbladder disease, but conversion to open cholecystectomy is still inevitable in certain cases. Knowledge of the rate and impact of the underlying reasons for conversion could help surgeons during preoperative assessment and improve the informed consent of patients. We decided to review the rate and causes of conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy. METHOD: This study included all laparoscopic cholecystectomies due to gallstone disease undertaken from May 1999 to June 2010. The exclusion criteria were malignancy and/or existence of gallbladder polyps detected pathologically. Patient demographics, indications for cholecystectomy, concomitant diseases, and histories of previous abdominal surgery were collected. The rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy, the underlying reasons for conversion, and postoperative complications were also analyzed. RESULTS: Of 5382 patients for whom LC was attempted, 5164 were included this study. The overall rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy was 3.16% (163 patients). There were 84 male and 79 female patients; the mean age was 52.04 years (range: 26-85). The conversion rates in male and female patients were 5.6% and 2.2%, respectively (

Successful treatment of generalised discoid lupus erythematosus with imiquimod cream 5%: A case report and review of the literature

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common form of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus and tends to heal with scarring, hair loss and pigmentary changes if treatment is not initiated in the early phase of the disease. Classic DLE lesions are initially red-purple macules, papules or small plaques that rapidly acquire a hyperkeratotic appearance. Only a minority of the patients with DLE progress to develop systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A small percentage of patients with SLE have concomitant DLE. However, generalised DLE is more frequently associated with systemic involvement than classic DLE. The diagnosis of DLE is usually based on clinical features, although in some cases histopathologic examination may be required to confirm the diagnosis. Standard therapy for cutaneous lupus includes broad-spectrum sunscreens, topical and intralesional glucocorticoids and antimalarial agents. A 63-year-old man presented with erythematous scaly patches that he had had on his face for approximately eight months. Although it was mainly his face that was affected, lesions were also noted on his scalp, neck, chest, shoulder, upper arms and trunk. Histopathologic examination verified the diagnosis of DLE. No systemic involvement was detected through laboratory examinations or consultations with the other departments. Imiquimod cream 5% was applied three times a week, every other week. After 24 applications over a period of two months an almost complete improvement was achieved. Topical imiquimod may, then, be an alternative treatment for generalised DLE

Intrauterine growth restriction and placental angiogenesis

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic-fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) are factors that take part in placental angiogenesis. They are highly expressed during embryonic and fetal development, especially in the first trimester. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of placental angiogenesis in the development of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) by comparing the levels of expression of VEGF-A, b-FGF, and eNOS in normal-term pregnancy and IUGR placentas.Methods: The expression of VEGF-A, b-FGF, and eNOS was studied using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase method in placental tissues diagnosed as normal (n = 55) and IUGR (n = 55). Results were evaluated in a semi-quantitative manner.Results: The expression of all the markers was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblasts, extravillous trophoblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells, chorionic villous stromal cells, and villous vascular endothelial cells of the IUGR placentas when compared with those collected from normal-term pregnancies.Conclusion: Increased expression of VEGF-A, b-FGF, and eNOS may be the result of inadequate uteroplacental perfusion, supporting the proposal that abnormal angiogenesis plays a role in the pathophysiology of IUGR. © 2010 Barut et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Epidemiology of pemphigus in Turkey: One-year prospective study of 220 cases

Pemphigus is a group of rare and life-threatening autoimmune blistering diseases of the skin and mucous membranes. Although they occur worldwide, their incidence shows wide geographical variation, and prospective data on the epidemiology of pemphigus are very limited. Objective of this work is to evaluate the incidence and epidemiological and clinical features of patients with pemphigus in Turkey. All patients newly diagnosed with pemphigus between June 2013 and June 2014 were prospectively enrolled in 33 dermatology departments in 20 different provinces from all seven regions of Turkey. Disease parameters including demography and clinical findings were recorded. A total of 220 patients were diagnosed with pemphigus during the 1-year period, with an annual incidence of 4.7 per million people in Turkey. Patients were predominantly women, with a male to female ratio of 1:1.41. The mean age at onset was 48.9 years. Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) was the commonest clinical subtype (n=192; 87.3%), followed by pemphigus foliaceus (n=21; 9.6%). The most common clinical subtype of PV was the mucocutaneous type (n=83; 43.2%). The mean Pemphigus Disease Area Index was 28.14±22.21 (mean ± Standard Deviation).  The incidence rate of pemphigus in Turkey is similar to the countries of South-East Europe, higher than those reported for the Central and Northern European countries and lower than the countries around the Mediterranean Sea and Iran. Pemphigus is more frequent in middle-aged people and is more common in women. The most frequent subtype was PV, with a 9-fold higher incidence than pemphigus foliaceus.   </p

Impact of reliability on warranty: A study of application in a large size company of electronics industry

This paper presents product reliability on component basis and investigates the possible effects on warranty which constitutes a non-technical issue. Product reliability is a key factor, which is used in considering the warranty period. It plays a significant role that a mistake in warranty forecasting could cost a lot for companies. The objective is to empirically examine the nature of general reliability of manufactured goods and conduct a case study in an electronics company. In this regard, reliability will be stated from the actual manufacturing point of view. A case study was applied in manufacturing industry. LCD TVs were undertaken to follow. To test reliability, a parametric Weibull model was used and hazard rates of products were estimated with linear regression method. For this research work, the lifetime data obtained by service departments, censored both left and right. Data were used in MINITAB14 to produce the reliability results of the LCDs to reveal the relationship between product reliability and product warranty in the consumer electronics industry. In this manner, this paper would help the company to decide whether it is favorable to extend the warranty period based on the failure findings. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Impact of reliability on warranty: A study of application in a large size company of electronics industry

This paper presents product reliability on component basis and investigates the possible effects on warranty which constitutes a non-technical issue. Product reliability is a key factor, which is used in considering the warranty period. It plays a significant role that a mistake in warranty forecasting could cost a lot for companies. The objective is to empirically examine the nature of general reliability of manufactured goods and conduct a case study in an electronics company. In this regard, reliability will be stated from the actual manufacturing point of view. A case study was applied in manufacturing industry. LCD TVs were undertaken to follow. To test reliability, a parametric Weibull model was used and hazard rates of products were estimated with linear regression method. For this research work, the lifetime data obtained by service departments, censored both left and right. Data were used in MINITAB14 to produce the reliability results of the LCDs to reveal the relationship between product reliability and product warranty in the consumer electronics industry. In this manner, this paper would help the company to decide whether it is favorable to extend the warranty period based on the failure findings. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved