Sarcoidosis and autoimmune disorders. A case report and review of the literature

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease of unknown etiology characterized by clusters of non-necrotizing granulomas and distortion of surrounding tissue. Although some patients are asymptomatic, sarcoidosis can cause a wide range of signs and symptoms often mimicking autoimmune rheumatologic disorders. Combined sarcoidosis and autoimmune disorders is uncommon as a result of either an University Hospital database analysis and literature review. However, given the high prevalence of autoimmunity in the general population, clinicians should be alerted to correctly diagnose and manage patients suspected to have both sarcoidosis and autoimmune disorders

Effect of Banking Regulation on Performance: Evidence from Turkey

In this study, we investigate the effect of regulation on banking sector performance in an emerging country context. Consecutive crises in the early 2000s led to three waves of reformist banking regulations in Turkey: (1) the banking sector restructuring program in 2002, (2) limitation of the full deposit insurance system in 2004, and (3) a corporate governance-related banking law in 2005. Results show that these actions had a positive effect on bank lending, asset quality, and profitability. Findings also support the view that the sequence and timing of banking reforms in Turkey acted as a shield against the global financial crisis of 2008

ETHICS EDUCATION IN PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTING: PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE ON THE PERCEPTIONS OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

Accounting profession has been hit hardest by criticisms of ethical issues during and after the financial crises. As a response to criticisms, business schools and professional bodies have been working to promote professional ethics throughout the profession around the world. International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) also highlighted the importance of ethics education for accounting professionals. TURMOB (The Union of Chambers of Certified Public Accountants and Sworn-in Certified Public Accountants in Turkey), has taken a step forward to address the ethics issue. An ethics training program has been developed and promoted. Although the participation to the program kept voluntary, more than 3000 professional accountants have been registered in the first round of education

Evaluation of right ventricular function in operated tetralogy of Fallot patients with tissue Doppler imaging before and after pulmonary valve replacement

Background: This study aims to investigate the efficacy of tissue Doppler echocardiography for the diagnosis of right ventricular dysfunction and for the evaluation of the response to pulmonary valve replacement. Methods: Between December 2008 and December 2010, a total of 15 patients (8 males, 7 females; mean age: 14.5 +/- 4.5 years; range, 7 to 22 years) with pulmonary valve insufficiency in the follow-up of total correction of tetralogy of Fallot who underwent pulmonary valve replacement were included in the study. Echocardiographic imaging was performed before and one, three, and six months after replacement. Using pulse wave Doppler, early diastolic E and late diastolic A waves were measured in the flow velocity curve of tricuspid valve. Tissue Doppler measurements were made from the basal segment of right ventricular free wall and interventricular septum. S, e, and a myocardial velocities, isometric contraction time, isovolumetric relaxation time and ejection time were measured. Myocardial performance index was calculated for each patient. Results: In pre-pulmonary valve replacement phase, s, e, a velocities and ejection time were lower in the interventricular septum compared to the basal segment of right ventricular free wall, while isometric contraction time, isovolumetric relaxation time and myocardial performance index values were higher. In the first post-replacement month, there was a significant decrease in the s value of interventricular septum, compared to pre-pulmonary valve replacement period; isometric contraction time decreased and myocardial performance index increased in the first post-pulmonary valve replacement month in the free wall of right ventricle, while isovolumetric relaxation time decreased in the postoperative third month, and s velocity, isometric contraction time and myocardial performance index increased in the postoperative sixth month. Pre-pulmonary valve replacement tissue Doppler values at the septum showed that myocardial systolic and diastolic dysfunction developed earlier than the basal segment of right ventricular free wall. This result showed that right ventricular recovery was not complete in the sixth post-pulmonary valve replacement month. Conclusion: Tissue Doppler can show right ventricular dysfunction before replacement, but it may be insufficient to visualize right ventricular recovery until six months after treatment

A case of neonatal arterial thrombosis mimicking interrupted aortic arch

Neonatal arterial thrombosis is a very rare entity with clinical findings resembling coarctation of aorta or interrupted aortic arch. A two day-old male newborn was admitted to another hospital with difficulty in sucking and sleepiness. On echocardiographic examination, a diagnosis of interrupted aortic arch was made and he was treated with prostoglandin E2. On physical examination, on admission to our center, the feet were bilaterally cold. The pulses were not palpable and there were ecchymotic regions in the lower extremities. Echocardiography ruled out interrupted aortic arch. Computerized tomographic angiography revealed a large thrombosis and total occlusion of the abdominal aorta. Since there was no response to treatment with tissue plasminogen activator, we performed thrombectomy. Homozygous Factor V Leiden and Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase mutations were found in this patient. Neonatal aortic thrombosis which is observed very rarely but which is fatal should be considered in the differential diagnosis of coarctation of aorta and interrupted aortic arch

Case report and the surgical treatment of two cases with pulmonary atresia in which pulmonary arteries is circulated by coronary arteries

Pulmonary atresia (PA) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) can occur in a variety of ways, from simple valve atresia to a condition in which circulation to the pulmonary bed occurs through collateral arteries separated from the aorta and there are no real pulmonary arteries, or they are present but hypoplastic. The size of the pulmonary arteries and concomitant complex cardiac lesions are important in making decisions about treatment and correctional alternatives. While complete correction surgeries in the style of a correction of tetralogy of Fallot are performed in simpler cases, many very invasive procedures are also performed and the resulting quality of life is very variable. The size of the pulmonary artery and its branches and the presence of accompanying collateral vessels are determining factors in the management of the disease. In this report, 2 cases of VSD and PA, in which the circulation of the pulmonary arteries was through the coronary arteries, diagnosed as a result of echocardiography performed following murmurs heard during examination, are described. The first patient was 40 days old and the second was 2 days old. In the second case, diagnosis was confirmed by catheter angiography, and in the first case, the final diagnosis was made during surgery. The aim of this report is to emphasize the importance of pulmonary artery size, the presence of pulmonary confluence, the origin of circulation, and concomitant collateral arteries when considering treatment methods

Analysis of right ventricle function with strain imaging before and after pulmonary valve replacement

Background: Pulmonary valve insufficiency may develop after surgical treatment of tetralogy of Fallot (ToF). Severe pulmonary valve insufficiency may result in right ventricular dysfunction. We aimed to compare cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), with echocardiography. Methods: Patients who developed severe pulmonary valve insufficiency after total correction for ToF, were included in the study. CMR was used to measure end-diastolic, end-systolic volumes and ejection fraction of the right ventricle before and 6 months after replacement, and echocardiographic strain imaging was obtained before, and 1, 3, and 6 months after replacement. Results: There were significant differences between pre- and post-replacement QRS durations, and right ventricle end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes measured with CMR (p < 0.05). However, right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) did not change. Therefore, CMR determined that right ventricle size and volume increased, and right ventricular function deteriorated before replacement. After replacement, no significant improvement was seen in RVEF. Lower-than-normal right ventricle strain and strain rate before replacement indicated that healthy and dysfunctional myocardium could be differentiated by this method. Pre-replacement strain and strain rate of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients were similar. Strain and strain rate values increased 6 months after replacement (p < 0.05). Conclusions: We suppose that increased experience with strain imaging, and further studies on a larger patient group with a longer follow-up period would show that this method is quite advantageous, and it will take its place in the literature as a non-invasive technique that may be used instead of magnetic resonance