Determination of normal splenic volume in relation to age, gender and body habitus: a stereological study on computed tomography

Background: The aim of this study is to assess and document the dimensions of the normal spleen measured on computed tomography (CT) images with the normal splenic volume measured by Cavalieri principle on CT images and thereby serve as a baseline for comparison in cases of splenomegaly using abdominal CT. To investigate the relationship between these changes and body mass index, gender, abdominal diameters.Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed abdominal CT examinations of 212 adults between the ages of 20 and 88 years. There were seven groups of patients. The spleen volume (SV) measurements using abdominal CT images of each patient on the Image Information Systems were performed with Cavalieri principle.Results: The mean SV and splenic length (SL), width (SW), and thickness (ST) for the total study population of 212 patients was 198 ± 88 cm3, 9.96 ± 2.1 cm, 8.87 ±± 1.6 cm and 4.58 ± 0.8 cm, respectively. There was a strong correlation between SV and ST (r = 0.752, p < 0.001), SL (r = 0.735, p < 0.001), SW (r = 0.681,p < 0.001) mean values of total study population. Comparison between mean splenic dimension parameters for males and females showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.032 for SV, p = 0.04 for ST) but no statistically significant difference with SL and SW. Also there was a positive correlation between SV and body height, sagittal abdominal diameter and transvers abdominal diameter in mean of total groups and female groups, there was no correlation in males.Conclusions: The normal reference ranges for SV and size given in this study canserve as a standard to judge whether splenomegaly is present in patients

Determination of normal splenic volume in relation to age, gender and body habitus: a stereological study on computed tomography

Background: The aim of this study is to assess and document the dimensions of the normal spleen measured on computed tomography (CT) images with the normal splenic volume measured by Cavalieri principle on CT images and thereby serve as a baseline for comparison in cases of splenomegaly using abdominal CT. To investigate the relationship between these changes and body mass index, gender, abdominal diameters. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed abdominal CT examinations of 212 adults between the ages of 20 and 88 years. There were seven groups of patients. The spleen volume (SV) measurements using abdominal CT images of each patient on the Image Information Systems were performed with Cavalieri principle. Results: The mean SV and splenic length (SL), width (SW), and thickness (ST) for the total study population of 212 patients was 198 +/- 88 cm(3), 9.96 +/- 2.1 cm, 8.87 +/- +/- 1.6 cm and 4.58 +/- 0.8 cm, respectively. There was a strong correlation between SV and ST (r = 0.752, p < 0.001), SL (r = 0.735, p < 0.001), SW (r = 0.681, p < 0.001) mean values of total study population. Comparison between mean splenic dimension parameters for males and females showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.032 for SV, p = 0.04 for ST) but no statistically significant difference with SL and SW. Also there was a positive correlation between SV and body height, sagittal abdominal diameter and transvers abdominal diameter in mean of total groups and female groups, there was no correlation in males. Conclusions: The normal reference ranges for SV and size given in this study can serve as a standard to judge whether splenomegaly is present in patients

Volumetric evaluation of fat in the renal sinus in normal subjects using stereological method on computed tomography images and its relationship with body composition

Background: The aim of the study was: to describe a simple, accurate and practical technique for estimating the volume of adipose tissue within the renal sinus (RS) using stereological method on computed tomography (CT) images; to establish a population database for volume of fat within the RS from 21 to 80 years of age; to investigate the effect of age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and abdominal diameters on RS fat volume in normal subjects.Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed abdominal CT examinations of 240 patients without renal pathology between the ages of 21 and 80 years. There were 6 groups of patients, with 40 patients for each decade.Results: RS fat volumes in the left and right kidney were 5.70 ± 2.87 cm3 and 4.15 ± 2.39 cm3, respectively, in males and 3.51 ± 2.67 cm3 and 2.49 ± 2.16 cm3, respectively, in females. RS fat volume and age were positively correlated for both kidneys (left: r = 0.46; right: r = 0.44; p &lt; 0.001, both), though it appeared to decline after age 70.Conclusions: Quantitative data may allow clinicians to better estimate the age-related RS fat volume changes and help them in decision making

Communication Research

Contains reports on seven research projects.Rockefeller FoundationCarnegie Foundatio

Communication Research

Contains reports on six research projects.Rand Corporatio

Post abortion family planning counseling as a tool to increase contraception use

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To describe the impact of the post-abortion family planning counseling in bringing about the contraceptive usage in women who had induced abortion in a family planning clinic.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The Diyarbakir Office of Turkish Family Planning Association (DTFPA) is a nonprofit and nongovernmental organization which runs a family planning clinic to serve the lower socio-economic populations, in Diyarbakir-Turkey. Post abortion counseling is introduced by using proper communication skills and with using appropriate methods to women. In this study we introduced contraceptive usage of women who had induced abortion one year ago and followed by DTFPA's clinic.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>55.3% of our clients were not using contraceptive methods before abortion. At the end of the one year, 75.9% of our followed-up clients revealed that they were using one of the modern contraceptive methods. There was no woman with IUD before induced abortion. At the end of one year 124 (52.3%) women had IUD. "A modern method was introduced immediately after abortion" was the most important factor increasing modern method usage.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results advocate that post-abortion counseling may be an effective tool to increase the usage of contraceptives. Improved and more qualified post-abortion family planning counseling should be an integral part of abortion services.</p

Recommendations for the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is still the world's second most frequent cause of death due to infectious diseases after HIV infection, and this has aroused greater interest in identifying and managing exposed subjects, whether they are simply infected or have developed one of the clinical variants of the disease. Unfortunately, not even the latest laboratory techniques are always successful in identifying affected children because they are more likely to have negative cultures and tuberculin skin test results, equivocal chest X-ray findings, and atypical clinical manifestations than adults. Furthermore, they are at greater risk of progressing from infection to active disease, particularly if they are very young. Consequently, pediatricians have to use different diagnostic strategies that specifically address the needs of children. This document describes the recommendations of a group of scientific societies concerning the signs and symptoms suggesting pediatric TB, and the diagnostic approach towards children with suspected disease