Paraplegia due to missed thoracic meningioma after lumbar spinal decompression surgery: A case report and review of the literature

Spinal meningiomas are often localized to the thoracic level and symptoms from a spinal meningioma are determined by the location of the mass. We present a case of thoracic paraplegia due to a thoracic spinal cord tumor (meningioma) that was not detected during lumbar spinal decompressive surgery. Thoracic mass was detected in level of T2-3 on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patient was re-operated and the patient's neurologic symptoms were partially relieved. Surgeons should know that a thoracic silent meningioma can aggrevate neurological symptoms after lumbar spinal decompression surgery and should inform their patient before surgery

The evaluation of comorbid diseases in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Objective: To evaluate comorbid diseases and existing rates of their in the patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Totally 70 patients with AS, 70 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 70 healthy controls were included in this study. Demographic and clinical features were recorded. Study groups were questioned in terms of comorbid disease including hypertension, atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD), heart failure, thyroid disease, lung disease, Type 2 diabetes, cerebrovascular events and the patients records were analyzed retrospectively to obtain more comprehensive information. Results: The patient and control groups were similar in terms of age, height and weight. The prevalence of hypertension in the patients with AS were significantly higher than those in controls (p<0.05). However no difference was observed when the patients with AS and RA were compared with hypertension (p>0.05). The incidence of ASHD and cardiac failure in AS and RA were similar and no significant difference was observed in comparison with the positive and negative controls. The prevalence for thyroid diseases was 12.8% and the prevalence for Type 2 diabetes mellitus was 11.6% in the patients with AS. This difference between the two groups was significant compared to healthy controls (p<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension, thyroid disorders and Type 2 diabetes mellitus in the patients with AS were significantly higher than those in controls. When the patients with AS were compared patients with RA, there was no significant difference in comorbid diseases between two groups

Efficiency of pulsed electromagnetic fields on pain, disability, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients with cervical disc herniation: a randomized controlled study

Background/aim: In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy on pain, disability, psychological state, and quality of life in cervical disc herniation

The emotional state in benign joint hypermobility syndrome and associated factors

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the difference of uric acid levels between metabolically healthy and unhealthy obese individuals. Methods: Patients of internal medicine and endocrinology outpatient clinics who admitted with the complaint of overweight were separated into two groups, by diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, as metabolically healthy obese and metabolically unhealthy obese individuals. Total of 193 women aged between 18 to 70 years were enrolled into study. Results: Statistically significant differences were determined regarding waist circumference (p=0.038), HOMA-IR (p0.05) were not differ between these groups. When patients were separated into two groups according to uric acid median, the rate of metabolic syndrome found to be increased in high uric acid group (p=0.021). A correlation analysis showed that uric acid was significantly associated with number of metabolic syndrome parameters (r=0.270, p<0.001) beyond presence of metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: In the fact of determined relation of uric acid with the insulin resistance and significant difference of uric acid levels between metabolically healthy and non-healthy obese groups, uric acid can be considered as a cheap, accessible and sensitive parameter for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factor in obese individuals

Bilateral Knee Pain Associated with Bone Infarction in a Patient with Behcet's Disease

We describe a 31-years-old female patient with severe pain in both knees who had been diagnosed as Behcet’s disease (BD) for 12 years. She had had a history of complications due to BD including superior vena cava thrombosis, pulmonary thromboembolism, uveitis, and erythema nodosum and has reported the administration of corticosteroid therapy irregularly. After radiologic evaluation, she has been diagnosed with bone infarction of both left and right knee with the existance of lupus anticoagulants (LA) positivity. Severe joint pain without the evidence of arthritis must alert the clinician to the possibility of bone necrosis of the extremity, although those may rarely occur bilateral in BD

Psychological health of caregivers and association with functional status of stroke patients

Conclusion: Caregivers had an impaired emotional state and the level of their anxiety was associated with the severity of functional disability of the patients. Therefore, the support provided to the caregiver might be influential on the functional recovery of the patients

Assessment of sexual function and quality of life in patients with lower limb amputations

CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the LLA leads to impairments in the sexual function and quality of life in male patients. Also, sexual dysfunction in patients is strongly associated with emotional state, pain, level of amputation and quality of life

Serum Prolidase Activity in Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

The aim of the present study was to emphasize the collagen turnover in 2 of the most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases by evaluating serum prolidase activity (SPA) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 30 patients who met the modified New York Criteria for the classification of AS, 29 patients who met the 2010 Rheumatoid Arthritis Classification Criteria for the classification of RA, and 31 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum samples of the patients and the controls were collected and SPA was measured by a spectrophotometric method. The comparison of the SPA in these 3 groups was statistically examined. In both patient groups, the SPA was lower than in the control group. SPA in patients with AS was statistically significantly lower than in the control and RA groups ( P < 0.001/ P = 0.002). No statistically significant difference was found between the RA and the control groups ( P = 0.891). In conclusion, lower SPA is presumably associated with decreased collagen turnover and fibrosis, leading to decreased physical functions in both chronic inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases

Relationship of the sexual functions with the clinical parameters, radiological scores and the quality of life in male patients with ankylosing spondylitis

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and the disease-related variables on the patients' sexual function according to the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scoring system. A total of 70 sexually active male AS patients and 60 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Their demographic data were evaluated, and the pain was assessed according to the visual analogue scale (VAS). Laboratory tests were conducted in order to measure the C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) of the patients. The disease activity was evaluated using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI). Functional statement was evaluated with the help of the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and with the scores obtained from the spinal measurements with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI). The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index (BASRI) was used to evaluate the radiological damage. The disease-related quality of life was measured with the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (ASQoL). The anxiety and depression level of the patients was revealed through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). In comparison with the healthy control group, patients with AS had significantly lower scores in each of the 5 domains of the IIEF (p < 0.0001). The BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, BASRI, ASQoL, HADS scores and CRP levels were negatively correlated with IIEF (p < 0.05). Orgasmic function and sexual desire scores were significantly lower in patients with peripheral arthritis (p < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed with the disease duration, smoking status, pain (VAS), and ESR levels when the total scores and the scores from the domains of IIEF were compared. The multivariate regression analyses indicated that BASFI and BASMI were independently associated with the sexual function. The sexual function is impaired in male patients with AS. This impairment in the sexual function is especially correlated with the BASFI and BASMI among the clinical and laboratory parameters