Taner Kivilcim

Background: The discovery of non-invasive biomarkers that can predict the therapeutic response in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is of utmost importance in the field of personalized medicine. The present prospective cohort study was designed to investigate the use of circulating levels of plasma microRNA-145 (miR-145) and microRNA-191 (miR-191) in the diagnosis and association with therapeutic response in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods: The present study was conducted as a retrospective observational cohort study on 183 adult IBD patients, consisting of 96 CD patients and 87 UC patients. Patient data and study parameters were obtained retrospectively from existing clinical records and available laboratory/molecular data collected during routine clinical care. A healthy control group consisting of 92 individuals was included for comparison with the patients with IBD. The circulating levels of miR-145 and miR-191 were assessed in the peripheral blood plasma at baseline using qRT PCR. The clinical response was evaluated at 12 weeks using the CDAI score for CD and the Mayo score for UC. Results: In active IBD, there was significant down-regulation of miR-145 and significant up-regulation of miR-191. Responders at 12 weeks had significantly higher levels of baseline miR-145 (2.0-fold, p < 0.001) and lower levels of miR-191 (1.8-fold, p < 0.001) compared with non-responders. Also, miR-145 negatively correlated with disease activity, and miR-191 positively correlated with acute inflammation markers. ROC curve analysis showed good discriminative values for both miR-145 and miR-191. Conclusions: The level of circulating miR-145 and miR-191 correlates with the activity of IBD. Importantly, the baseline level of miR-145 expression is a non-invasive potential biomarker associated with therapeutic response at 12 weeks.

Objective: The coexistence of dermatofibroma and a dilated pore of Winer is an exceptionally rare phenomenon that may pose diagnostic challenges and raise questions regarding their potential interrelationship. Case: We present the case of a 21-year-old female with a progressive, initially asymptomatic lesion on her left arm. Surgical excision was performed due to its growth over the past year. Histopathological examination revealed characteristic features of both dermatofibroma and a dilated pore of Winer occurring in close proximity. Conclusion: This case highlights the unusual simultaneous presentation of two benign cutaneous lesions, typically seen in older populations, within a young adult. It also emphasizes the importance of careful histopathological evaluation to rule out malignant transformation and to better understand potential shared pathogenic mechanisms. Further research is warranted to explore possible genetic or environmental factors contributing to such atypical presentations.

Setting up and advocating a thesis is mandatory at the end of the residency training program to become a specialist in general surgery according to the regulations on medical specialization in Turkey. Writing a thesis helps the resident to learn to ask structured questions, assembling the most accurate study design, managing the study process, collecting the results and building a conclusion with medical implications. In this descriptive study, we aimed to investigate the publication rates of the theses written in the field of general surgery and to assess the properties of the published theses. We performed an online search on September 1, 2018, about the theses of general surgery residents on the website of National Thesis data center of Academic Educational Board in Turkey including theses of medical residents in university-affiliated hospitals and analyzed theses accomplished between 1998-2018. The publication status of the theses was assessed by the entry of author name, the title of the theses and keywords of the theses by using the search engines of PubMed, Google Scholar and Turkish Academic Network and Information Center Turkish Database (ULAKBIM). Data were presented in a descriptive form as absolute numbers and percentages. Between 1998-2018, 1996 theses were completed. 393 (20.5%) of these were published in a journal, and 288 (14.4%) were published in a journal indexed in SCI/SCIE. According to research methodologies, 79.2% of the experimental studies were published in SCI/SCIE indexed journals. Publication rates of the theses in the field of general surgery are low as they are in other specialties of medicine. This descriptive study might give an idea about the low scientific publication rates of general surgery theses. Further studies are needed to understand the underlying factors, which are responsible for this scant scientific performance.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2019/3647356.].

Purpose. Bezoars are foreign particles from the accumulation of indigestible materials in the gastrointestinal system and a rare cause of mechanical intestinal obstruction. We aimed at investigating differences in risk factors for the development of intestinal obstruction associated with bezoar in elderly patients.Methods. Hospital records of patients who underwent surgery associated with phytobezoar between January 2004 and May 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups [Results. Of 121 patients enrolled, 48 (39.7%) were male and 73 (60.3%) were female (range: 24-86 years). Group 1 consisted of 69 patients aged < 65, while Group 2 consisted of 52 patients aged ≥ 65. Comorbidity was reported in 52 (42.9%) patients (mostly diabetes mellitus, 20.7%), while 60 patients (49.6%) had history of abdominal surgery (mostly peptic ulcer, 27.3%). No statistical differences were found between the two groups in terms of sex, bezoar site, surgical technique preferred, history of abdominal surgical intervention, pre- and postoperative CT examination, morbidity rates, and length of hospitalization. But, ratio of peptic ulcer operations history, presence of total comorbidity, and time of surgery decision was higher in Group 2 patients.Conclusion. In bezoar-related intestinal obstruction, duration and outcome of treatment are not affected by age distribution. Possibility of bezoar should primarily be considered in elderly patients with history of peptic ulcer operation.

Mastitis, granulomatous mastitis, idiopathic granulomatous mastitis, bacteria, etiology

The placement of pancreatic tissue in an organ outside the pancreas is called pancreatic heterotopy. Heterotopic pancreatic (HP) tissue is frequently observed in the stomach and duodenum, while the gallbladder is an extremely rare localization. In this article, we present pancreatic heterotopy located in the gallbladder, a rarely observed embryologic anomaly, with the study of two cases and a review of the literature.