Darko Laketić

Background: Transabdominal ultrasonographic measurement of rectal diameter is increasingly used as a non-invasive adjunct for assessing rectal distension and fecal loading in children. However, interpretation is limited by the lack of age-stratified reference data in pediatric populations without bowel dysfunction. This study aimed to characterize the distribution of the laterolateral (LL) rectal diameter across childhood and adolescence and provide preliminary age-stratified empirical reference percentiles. Methods: This single-center cross-sectional study included pediatric participants aged ≤18 years who underwent clinically indicated abdominal ultrasonography for reasons unrelated to bowel or anorectal disorders and fulfilled predefined eligibility criteria. Maximal LL rectal diameter was measured transabdominally using a standardized protocol. Empirical percentiles were calculated for four age groups (6–36, 37–72, 73–144, and 145–216 months), with precision assessed using non-parametric bootstrap resampling with 10,000 repetitions. Results: The cohort comprised 188 participants: 46, 43, 62, and 37 in the four age groups, respectively; 107 (56.9%) were boys. Overall LL rectal diameter was 3.55 ± 1.46 cm (median, 3.20 cm; IQR, 2.50–4.30 cm), ranging from 1.01 to 8.00 cm. The LL diameter differed significantly across age groups (p = 0.002), with mean values increasing from 3.02 cm in the youngest group to 3.96 cm in the oldest group. No significant sex-related difference was observed (p = 0.843). P5–P95 ranges were 1.60–4.90, 1.51–5.89, 2.20–6.59, and 2.27–7.00 cm, respectively. Bootstrap confidence intervals were wider for extreme percentiles, particularly in smaller age strata. Conclusions: LL rectal diameter shows substantial interindividual variability and a modest age-related increase during childhood. These findings provide preliminary age-stratified empirical reference data rather than diagnostic thresholds or definitive normative limits. Larger multicenter studies are needed for external validation and more precise estimation of extreme percentiles.

While dihydrotestosterone (DHT) has traditionally been considered the principal steroid in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) pathogenesis, the role of estradiol (E2) and its relationship with local androgen accumulation remain unclear. This study investigated whether transition zone (TZ) tissue concentrations of E2, testosterone, and DHT are associated with prostate enlargement. TZ tissue cores were collected from 80 men undergoing prostate biopsy. Patients were stratified by total prostate volume (TPV): small (p < 0.05). Across the cohort, TPV strongly correlated with DHT (R = 0.870, p < 0.001), E2 (R = 0.845, p < 0.001), and testosterone (R = 0.817, p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate a strong association between local steroid accumulation and prostate enlargement, supporting the hypothesis that coordinated androgenic and estrogenic activity shapes the hormonal microenvironment driving BPH progression. This pattern aligns with a model of local steroidal hyperfunction that may amplify stromal–epithelial signaling in the enlarged prostate.

In the male body, zinc accumulates most abundantly in prostatic cells, where it plays a key role in producing high amounts of citrate in seminal fluid. Intraprostatic accumulation of Zn increases during the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), one of the most common diseases in men over 50 years of age. Continuing our investigations on intraprostatic androgens, in this study, we analyzed the mineral content (Zn, Ca, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, and Na) in the transitional zone (TZ) of the prostate using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The concentrations of testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were determined by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Group-wise and correlation analyses demonstrated a descriptive trend toward a volume-dependent increase in Zn concentrations within TZ tissue, whereas other elements exhibited heterogeneous covariance patterns; intraprostatic hormone levels, although elevated in larger prostates, showed no consistent linear correlations with elemental concentrations. Given the observational design of the present study, the reported tissue Zn profiles cannot be interpreted as evidence supporting supplementation in BPH, and any potential clinical implications warrant evaluation in rigorously designed interventional studies.

The prostate is a specific male organ where the urinary and reproductive pathways anatomically and functionally intersect. This exocrine gland, whose evolutionary roots date back to the first mammals approximately 65 million years ago, plays a crucial role in male fertility: its secretion provides an optimal environment for the survival and motility of spermatozoa. Prostate diseases currently represent one of the greatest medical and healthcare challenges for the modern man. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the fourth most common chronic disease in the male population, while prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequent malignancy among men in the developed world. The human prostate represents a unique biological paradox. While our closest evolutionary relatives, the great apes and Old-World monkeys, rarely develop malignant tumors of this gland despite a similar anatomy and the occurrence of benign changes in old age, the incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) in humans is dramatically high. This paper hypothesizes that the key to understanding this discrepancy lies in the dietary shift that occurred approximately 15,000 years ago. The radical transition from a primate, antioxidant-rich diet to a high-calorie meat diet, the dramatic extension of human longevity, and the evolution of sexual relationships from a purely reproductive function to a complex social category have created an evolutionary mismatch that has made the human prostate a primary target of modern oncology.

The insular cortex has emerged as a key region implicated in a wide array of cognitive, emotional, and sensory processes. The anterior part of the insula (AIC) is central to emotional awareness, decision-making, and interoception, while the posterior insula (PIC) is more associated with somatosensory processing. The insula acts as a functional hub within the salience network and integrates homeostatic, affective, and cognitive information; thus, its role in different mental disorders seems to be prominent. Altered structure and connectivity of the insular cortex are evident in several psychiatric conditions. In schizophrenia, reductions in insular volume—especially on the left—correlate with hallucinations, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive deficits. Bipolar and major depressive disorders exhibit AIC volume loss and aberrant connectivity patterns linked to impaired affect regulation and interoceptive awareness. Anxiety disorders show functional hyperactivity of the insula, especially in response to fear-inducing stimuli, though findings on structural changes are mixed. Overall, growing evidence underscores the insular cortex’s central role in psychiatric pathophysiology and highlights its potential as a target for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Introduction: Mastocytes (Ms) are usually localized close to microves-sels and terminals of the nerves innervating meninges and visceral or-gans. The granules of Ms contain numerous mediators that affect nerve cells and modify their reactions. Aim: Our study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the presence and localization of Ms, and mastocytes density (MsD) in three segments of the human trigeminal ganglions (TGs): ophthalmic, maxillary and mandibular, as well as in two parts: upper and lower, of the sympathetic superior cervical ganglions (SSCGs), and establishing the correlation be-tween the studied parameters. Material and Methods: Five TGs and five SSCGs of adult individuals were processed for this histochemical and immunohistochemical anal-ysis. The sections are serially sliced and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and the trichrome method of Masson, as well as for the mastocyte tryptase immunostaining. Results: The average number of tryptase-positive (Tryp+) Ms in the marked fields on the microscope, the MsD, was 1.4 in the ophthalmic parts, 1.45 in the maxillary parts, and 1.5 in the mandibular parts of TGs. The median of numbers of Tryp+ Ms in fields on the microscope was 4.5 (from 2 to 6 Ms) in the upper segments, and 5 (from 3 to 6 Ms) in the lower segments of SSCGs. The distributions of Ms in three parts of the human TGs and two segments of the SSCGs were evenly distributed with no special morphological peculiarities. This is the first micromorphologi-cal analysis of the Tryp+Ms and MsD in human TGs and SSCGs. Conclusion: We did not find a statistically significant difference between the means of MsD in the three segments of the TG (p = 0.883). We did not find a statistically significant differences between the MsD groups in two segments of the SSCGs (p = 0.899). We found statistically significant differences in MsD of Tryp+ Ms between TG and SSCG (p<0.001). MsD in two parts of the SSCG was significantly higher than MsD in three parts of TG.

Rasprave o osnivanju Medicinskog fakulteta počinju marta 1869. kada je ustanovljena komisija na čelu s rektorom Velike škole Josifom Pančićem, koji je predložio osnivanje "Srpskog Universiteta sa pet fakulteta i to: Filozofskog, Bogosloveskog, Pravničkog, Tehničkog i Medicinskog. Na proslavi 25. godišnjice Srpskog lekarskog društva 1897. godine predsednik dr Mihailo Marković je govorio da će uskoro kod nas ponići i Medicinski fakultet. Dr Milan Jovanović-Batut je 1899. na 124 stranica potanko obrazložio razloge osnivanja Medicinskog fakulteta. Bilo je pokušaja i 1904., 1905., 1910., 1911. U martu 1914. tri ugledna profesora (dr Milan Jovanović, dr Vojislav Subbotić i dr Eduard Mihel) nakon šest nedelja i 17 posećenih fakulteta, podnela su referat i maja 1914. ministar je potpisao Rešenje o osnivanju Medicinskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu. Prva sednica kolegijuma Medicinskog fakulteta održana je 6. februara 1920. godine. Novoizabrani nastavnik anatomije, dr Drago Perović, je otkazao pristanak da započne nastavu anatomije i to opravdao pobolevanjem! Na upražnjeno mesto pozvan je iz Pariza hirurg dr Niko Miljanić. Avgusta 1920. godine izabran je za honorarnog profesora Deskriptivne i topografske anatomije. Oktobra 1921. godne dr Ilija Šapšal izabran je za honorarnog profesora Deskriptivne anatomije. Prvo, pristupno predavanje, posle uvodne reči dekana, održao je profesor Miljanić 9. decembra 1920. godine u Kapetan-Mišinom zdanju, u svečanoj sali Univerziteta. Bilo je to prvo predavanje na Medicinskom fakultetu. Taj dan se obeležava kao Dan Instituta za anatomiju i Medicinskog fakulteta u Beogradu.

The continuous evolution of cancer biology has led to the discovery of mammaglobin, a potential novel biomarker for breast carcinoma. This review aims to unravel the enigmatic aspects of mammaglobin and elucidate its potential role in redefining the paradigm of breast carcinoma biomarkers. We will thoroughly examine its expression in tumoral and peritumoral tissues and its circulating levels in the blood, thereby providing insights into its possible function in cancer progression and metastasis. Furthermore, the potential application of mammaglobin as a non-invasive diagnostic tool and a target for personalized treatment strategies will be discussed. Given the increasing incidence of breast carcinoma worldwide, the exploration of novel biomarkers such as mammaglobin is crucial in advancing our diagnostic capabilities and treatment modalities, ultimately contributing to improved patient outcomes.

Introduction/Objective Rib fractures are common in blunt chest trauma (BTC) and when they are associated with pleural complications (PC) - pneumothorax, hemothorax and hemopneumothorax the treatment of these patients is prolonged and difficult. Without the ability to predict PC after rib fractures in BTC, most doctors are forced to initially treat these patients through observation and conservative treatment. The goal of this research is to determine which of the investigated biomarkers of inflammation - fibrinogen, IL-6 and CRP are significantly associated with the occurrence of PC after rib fracture in BCT, which would be used in stratifying patients for hospitalization and further treatment. Methods The prospective study included 90 patients with rib fractures caused by BTC. The test group comprised 45 patients with rib fractures and the presence of PC, and the control group consisted of 45 patients with rib fractures without PC. Blood sampling was performed on admission, on the second, third and fifth day after the injury, and PC were monitored until the seventh day after the injury. Results Serum values of IL-6 on the second day and fibrinogen and CRP on the second and third day after injury were statistically significantly higher in patients with PC, and IL-6 showed a good discriminative ability in assessing the occurrence of PC on the second day after a rib fracture in BTC. Conclusion The investigated biomarkers of inflammation - fibrinogen, IL-6 and CRP can be used as predictors of PC after rib fracture in BTC, and their application can significantly replace clinical observation.

Out of all benign tumors of the ceruminous glands, syringocystadenoma papilliferum is the rarest and represents only 2% of cases. It is an extremely rare benign tumor that originates from modified apocrine sweat glands. The aim of this paper was to present, according to our findings, the 18th case of syringocystadenoma papilliferum in the external auditory canal, with a detailed review of its clinical, radiological and histomorphological characteristics. A 59-year-old man reported to our clinic due to a 5×5 mm papillomatous growth at the entrance to the right external auditory canal. Histopathology indicated, after an excisional biopsy, that it was a syringocystadenoma papilliferum. The resection lines were free of tumor tissue, and the patient has no signs of tumor recurrence. Although rare, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis of lesions in this region. Complete excision is mandatory in order to avoid recurrence and potential malignant alteration.