Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Alp Alper Safak.
Anterior sacral meningocele is a rare condition characterized by the herniation of meningeal membranes and cerebrospinal fluid through a defect in the anterior aspect of the sacrum. We report a case of an anterior sacral meningocele that was mimicking an ovarian cyst.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the normal standards of liver, spleen, and kidney dimensions and the relationship of each with sex, age, body weight, height, body mass index, and body surface area in healthy school-aged children. METHODS: Seven hundred twelve healthy school-aged children (7-15 years) in 2 neighboring cities, including rural areas and city centers, were evaluated prospectively. Sex, age, weight, height, body mass index, and body surface area were determined for each case. Organ dimensions were measured 3 times, and the mean values were recorded. All measured organs had a normal position, shape, and echo texture. The children were separated into 5 groups according to body weight. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in organ dimensions with respect to sex (P > .05). The mean right kidney length was shorter than the left kidney length, and the difference was significant (P = .009). Body weight showed the best correlation with liver, spleen, and kidney dimensions. The results were also supported by the variance and covariance of the correlation coefficients. CONCLUSIONS: The normal limits of the liver, spleen, and kidneys are important parameters during a sonographic examination. This study revealed that organ dimensions showed the best correlation with body weight. To our knowledge, in clinical practice there are no pediatric organ dimension percentile graphs for interpretation of sonographic examinations. We hope this study contributes to daily practice in radiology clinics.
Multiseptate gallbladder is a rare congenital malformation of the gallbladder. In some cases, right upper quadrant pain, recurrent abdominal pain, and gallstones were present. We present the sonographic findings in a case of multiseptate gallbladder with acute cholecystitis, which (to our knowledge) has not been reported before. We hypothesize that bile sludge accumulated and subsequent cholecystitis developed as a result of bile stasis in our case because the classic predisposing factors that have been described were absent.
We present percutaneous biliary drainage in a patient with jaundice due to afferent loop obstruction following a pancreatoduodenectomy. Treatment strategy for this type of jaundice is discussed with a review of the literature. The dilated loop of the jejunum was drained percutaneously with 10 F abscess drainage catheter. The obstructive jaundice was improved.
We developed a simple and cost-effective modified cannula for sialography. The cannulae were made from nineteen, twenty-one and twenty-three gauge winged infusion set which are generally used for injection of contrast material in radiological imaging. In this article, we intend to introduce this cannula and discuss its utility.
PURPOSE: To assess the effects of exposure to exhaust particles on intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in highway toll collectors. METHODS: Sixty-one highway toll collectors (HTCs) between 24 and 56 years of age (mean, 36.2 +/- 7.3) and 48 controls between 24 and 64 years of age (mean, 42.6 +/- 10.6) were evaluated with gray-scale sonography to measure intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA). Subgroups were categorized according to duration of exhaust exposure and further divided according to tobacco use. RESULTS: CCA IMT was higher (0.8 +/- 0.2 mm) in HTCs than in the control group (0.6 +/- 0.1 mm; p < 0.001) and remained higher when subgroups with similar smoking habits were compared. In HTCs, IMT was greater when the number of years working in tollbooths was greater (p = 0.023). IMT was lower in HTCs with an exposure duration of < 10 years compared with a duration of 10-20 years (p = 0.017) or > 20 years (p value not significant). CONCLUSION: Air pollution has a widely acknowledged negative effect on humans. This study confirms that exposure to exhaust particles might cause wall thickening of carotid arteries.