An adjuvant therapy in cervical necrotising fasciitis: hyperbaric oxygen treatment

Kearn sayre syndrome (KSS) is a rare disease with a typical onset before 20 years and characterized by triad of chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, retinitis pigmentosa and progressive cardiac conduction abnormalities. The most important prognostic factor in KSS patients is the involvement of heart characterized by progressive degeneration of the conduction system. In patients with KSS, early diagnosis of cardiac involvement is very important because complete atrioventricular (AV) block may develop and it can be cause of sudden cardiac death. Herein we report a patient with KSS who presented with syncope due to complete AV block. [Med-Science 2016; 5(4.000): 1013-5

Remission of Endometriosis by Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment in Rats

We designed this prospective, randomized controlled animal study to determine the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on experimentally induced endometriosis in a rat model. Surgical induction of endometriosis was performed in 40, nonpregnant, female, Wistar-Albino rats at the Experimental Medicine Research Center of Istanbul University (DETAE). Four weeks later, the first and second laparotomies for volume measurement and peritoneal fluid (PF) collection were performed, and the rats were divided randomly into the study and control groups. The study group was exposed to HBO treatment for 6 weeks. Then, a third laparotomy was performed on all of the rats. The volume, histopathologic scores, Ki-67 labeling of the endometriotic implants, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the PF were measured. The mean volume of the endometriotic implants in the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group at the end of the study (57.4 +/- 12.5 vs 94.6 +/- 17.2 mm(3)). The mean histopathological scores (1.60 +/- 0.50 vs 2.42 +/- 0.51), Ki-67 immunohistochemical scores (1.50 +/- 0.51 vs 2.37 +/- 0.49) of the endometriotic implants, and the TNF-alpha levels (5.33 +/- 1.02 vs 8.16 +/- 1.76 pg/mL) were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for 2 hours a day for 6 weeks resulted in significant remission of endometriosis in rats

Cancer among syrian refugees living in Konya Province, Turkey

BACKGROUND: With more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees Turkey hosts the world's largest number of Syrians. Considering the morbidity, mortality, and healthcare spending, cancer is one of the leading health and economic burden for patients and healthcare systems. However, very limited information available in the scientific literature to understand the burden and characteristics of cancer in countries hosting Syrian refugees. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment outcome of Syrian cancer patients living in Konya, Turkey. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of Syrian cancer patients at three major institutions from 2005 to 2020. The information regarding demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were identified. The number of days between the first symptom and diagnosis was considered as the “diagnostic interval”. Patients who failed to attend clinics within four weeks of appointment were assumed abandoned treatment. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. RESULTS: We identified 230 adult and 38 children refugee diagnosed with cancer during the study period. With regards to adult patients, there were 114 (49.6%) male and 116 (50.4%) female. The median age at diagnosis was 52.4, 47.3 years for male, female respectively. The five most common cancer by site among all were; breast (24.8%), colorectal (10.9%), lung (7.4%), central nervous system (CNS) (7.0%), and stomach (5.2%). 93 (40.4%) had metastatic disease at diagnosis. The overall survival probability was 37.5% at five years for the adult population. Data were extracted for 20 boys and 18 girls with childhood cancer. Their median age at diagnosis was 5.8 and 6.0 years respectively. The three most common childhood cancer were; leukemias (21.1%), lymphomas (21.1%), and CNS (13.2%). Excluding leukemia, 13 (43.3%) of childhood cancer cases had the advanced disease at diagnosis. Three year survival probality was 69.5%. The median diagnostic interval for adult and childhood cancer was 96.5 (IQR = 53–165) and 23 (IQR = 13.5–59) days respectively. Twenty-one adults and four children had treatment abandonment. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to understanding the burden of cancer among Syrian refugees living in Konya, growing health issue for refugees. Larger and prospective studies will help to measure the real burden and compare the difference in cancer risk factors, care, and outcomes among the refugee and host populations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13031-022-00434-4

Repetitive Long-Term Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT) Administered after Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats Induces Significant Remyelination and a Recovery of Sensorimotor Function

<div><p>Cells in the central nervous system rely almost exclusively on aerobic metabolism. Oxygen deprivation, such as injury-associated ischemia, results in detrimental apoptotic and necrotic cell loss. There is evidence that repetitive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) improves outcomes in traumatic brain-injured patients. However, there are no experimental studies investigating the mechanism of repetitive long-term HBOT treatment-associated protective effects. We have therefore analysed the effect of long-term repetitive HBOT treatment on brain trauma-associated cerebral modulations using the lateral fluid percussion model for rats. Trauma-associated neurological impairment regressed significantly in the group of HBO-treated animals within three weeks post trauma. Evaluation of somatosensory-evoked potentials indicated a possible remyelination of neurons in the injured hemisphere following HBOT. This presumption was confirmed by a pronounced increase in myelin basic protein isoforms, PLP expression as well as an increase in myelin following three weeks of repetitive HBO treatment. Our results indicate that protective long-term HBOT effects following brain injury is mediated by a pronounced remyelination in the ipsilateral injured cortex as substantiated by the associated recovery of sensorimotor function.</p></div

Grouping of animals and number of animals per group and testing parameter.

<p>*Uneven number of animals is due to trauma- or anaesthesia-related loss of rats. ^#Different groups were implemented since this allowed for simultaneous analysis of these parameters. Biases in the results of the distinct testing parameters due to previous handling of the animals were thereby avoided, i.e. anaesthetics and interventions during MRI or SSEP did not affect behavioural potentials of the rats and vice versa. mTBI: moderate traumatic brain injury; sTBI: severe traumatic brain injury.</p

Time-dependent changes in the central conduction times following traumatic brain injury and HBO treatment established by somatosensory-evoked potentials.

<p>A. Schematic representation of the somatosensory-evoked potential recording sites adapted from the human 10–20 system. B. The central conduction time (CCT) is calculated by subtracting the peak latency of the major response from the neck from the latency of the primary cortical response C. Time-dependent modulation in the central conduction time recorded at the ipsi- and contralateral hemisphere in treated and untreated brain injured rats. Open square: HBO-treated brain injured rats; open circle: untreated brain injured rats; ---- baseline recordings; The HBOT effect was not observed at all time points (repeated measures mixed model ANOVA; <i>F(1,20) = 0.38, n.s.</i>); however, there was a significant effect at 3 weeks. *<i>p<</i>0.05 (repeated measures ANOVA, Bonferonni corrected); ^#<i>p</i>≤0.003 (t-test), HBO-treated versus untreated injured animals. ^##<i>p<0.001</i> (ANOVA), HBO-treated animals versus sham controls; n = 5 for untreated, n = 12 for HBO-treated (uneven group sizes arise from missing data points in some animals, which were excluded in repeated measures mixed model ANOVA). Error bars represent ± standard error means.</p

Schematic representation of the schedule of HBO treatments and associated analytical assays following induction of traumatic brain injury by fluid percussion.

<p>Schematic representation of the schedule of HBO treatments and associated analytical assays following induction of traumatic brain injury by fluid percussion.</p