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Biomedical subjects

Mecit Kantarci

Publications and source records attributed to Mecit Kantarci.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Silicosis in Turkish denim sandblasters.

BACKGROUND: Sandblasting of jeans in small Turkish workshops has recently been recognized as a cause of silicosis. CASE SERIES: Between August 2004 and March 2006, we admitted 16 young men with a history of working in small workplaces producing sandblasted jeans. Of these, 14 presented with respiratory symptoms and the remaining two through awareness of their work colleagues. In the first two cases, open-lung biopsy was required to confirm the diagnosis of silicosis. Later cases were diagnosed through a combination of their work history and the clinical and radiological findings. The mean age at presentation was 23 years with mean duration of employment as a sandblaster being 3 years. The first two cases died and the remainder, except two, are still receiving treatment. CONCLUSION: The production of sandblasted jeans in small uncontrolled workplaces may entail significant exposure to silica and the development of rapidly fatal silicosis. Urgent action is required to prevent further cases and mortality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries: MDCT angiography findings and interpretation of complex coronary anatomy.

A 56-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital because of dyspne and chest pain. A chest radiograph showed mild cardiomegaly. Echocardiography revealed unusual chamber in the heart. The chamber beneath the left atrium was morphologically right ventricle. To evaluate the precise complex anatomy of this abnormality, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography was performed. MDCT clearly revealed complex intracardiac and vascular anatomy, including typical imaging findings of a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA). We described both imaging findings of MDCT angiography and interpretation of complex vascular anatomy in a patient with CCTGA.

Coronary Angiography↗
PubMed2006

Coronary artery fistula in a patient with coronary artery disease: evaluation by coronary angiography and multidetector computed tomography.

A 54-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction was successfully treated with coronary artery stenting. Coronary angiography is the preferred diagnostic method for imaging the coronary arteries, but coronary artery fistulas origin and course may not be apparent. New tomographic cardiovascular imaging tests such as, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) can be used to precise delineation of coronary fistulas.

Arterio-Arterial Fistula↗
PubMed2006

Demonstration of vascular abnormalities compressing esophagus by MDCT: special focus on dysphagia lusoria.

PURPOSE: Dysphagia lusoria (DL) is described in the literature as difficulty in swallowing caused by vascular abnormalities. The most common cause is an aberrant right subclavian artery (SCA) which passes behind the esophagus and is also called arteria lusoria (AL). Our aim was to demonstrate the use of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the diagnosis of AL, as there is no comprehensive study investigating the role of MDCT in such cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 38 consecutive patients, comprising of 23 females (61%) and 15 males (39%), who had extrinsic compression were included in the study. These patients are selected from the cases who were admitted due to their gastrointestinal symptoms, such as dysphagia, epigastric pain, chronic nausea, vomiting, etc. The mean age of patients was 40 +/- 25 years (range 15-65). Following barium esophagogram and then endoscopy performed, MDCT angiography was carried out on the same or the following few days. MDCT sections were examined to determine the following: presence of vascular abnormality; the diameter and angle of that vascular structure; and the compressed area of esophagus. Radiological findings and dysphagia scores were also compared. RESULTS: In each of 15 cases, there was a compression due to vascular abnormality which were all located between the esophagus and the spine. There was an esophageal compression in each of 12 cases, due to right aberrant SCA, in one case due to right superior aortic arch and in two cases due to both right aortic arch and left SCA with Kommerell's diverticulum. The mean diameter and the angle of AL were 16.4 mm and 48.8 degrees , respectively, and the mean area of pressured esophagus was 194.7 mm2. Dysphagia scores of the cases was 1 in thirteen cases and 2 in two cases. However, dysphagia scores were not correlated with these parameters. CONCLUSIONS: MDCT angiography is a useful diagnostic tool for evaluation of patients with dysphagia, especially caused by a vascular abnormality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

The importance of local subcutaneous fat thickness in pilonidal disease.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the local subcutaneous fat thickness in sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease. METHODS: Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured by ultrasonography in 125 patients with sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease and 125 age-matched, body mass index-matched and gender-matched controls. RESULTS: The sacrococcygeal subcutaneous fat thickness was 14.4 +/- 2.9 mm, 18.3 +/- 3.1 mm, and 22 +/- 2.2 mm, respectively, in normal, overweight, and obese patients with sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease and 9.1 +/- 3.1 mm, 11.3 +/- 2.6 mm, and 20 +/- 1.8 mm, respectively, in normal, overweight, and obese controls. Sacrococcygeal fat was significantly thicker in normal and overweight patients with pilonidal disease compared with controls with same body mass index (P< 0.01). There were no significant differences in fat thickness between obese patients and obese controls (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sacrococcygeal fat thickness, as a local factor, is closely associated with pilonidal disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Asymmetry of the height of the ethmoid roof in relationship to handedness.

The aim of this work was to study the handedness differences in the height of the right and left ethmoid roofs. Hand preference was assessed using the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. The height of the right and left ethmoid roofs was measured with computerised tomography (CT). The incidence of persons who had a lower ethmoid roof on the right side was significantly greater among right-handers than among left-handers; the incidence of persons who had a lower ethmoid roof on the left side was significantly greater among left-handers than among right-handers; and right and left ethmoid roofs were equal in all ambidextrous subjects. The relationship between the asymmetric ethmoid roofs and handedness may result from the right or left embryonic craniofacial region being smaller in the right- or left-handed subjects. This is particularly important in the light of the high degree of variability in the ethmoid roof, and even between the right and left sides in a given individual. Preoperative awareness of a patient's unique sinus anatomy may help prevent iatrogenic injury to the surrounding vital structures during ethmoid sinus surgery (ESS).

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

99mTc-labelled red blood cell single-photon emission computed tomography for the diagnosis and follow-up of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

AIM: To confirm the usefulness of blood pool scintigraphy with Tc-labelled red blood cells ((99m)Tc-RBCs) in the diagnosis and follow-up of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. METHODS: A prospective study design was used. (99m)Tc-RBCs were prepared by a modified in-vivo method. After the rapid intravenous injection of 370-740 MBq of (99m)Tc-RBCs, dynamic imaging of 1-min duration was performed. After dynamic imaging, static acquisitions at 5 min (second phase: blood pool phase) and 2 h (third phase: static image) were obtained. In addition, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging was performed at 2 h. SPECT images were obtained using a rotating gamma camera (GE-Starcam 4000 XR/T). RESULTS: All patients showed no activity in the first phase and mild activity in the second phase (blood pool phase). All patients with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma showed a prominent increased activity in the third phase and in SPECT images. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that blood pool scintigraphy with (99m)Tc-RBC SPECT is very accurate, easy to perform and a suitable alternative to pre-operative and post-operative imaging techniques, including computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRI angiography, for the detection of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Stereological evaluation of treatment response in patients with non-resectable hepatic alveolar echinococcosis using computed tomography via the Cavalieri method.

INTRODUCTION: The purposes of this study were to describe and adapt the relevant methods of computed tomography (CT) and stereology to estimate parasitic volume in the liver, to compare the efficiency of benzimidazole treatment in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE), and to determine whether the response rates measured by the stereological method are correlated with those measured by simple volumetric measurements (SVM). METHODS: Nine eligible patients with non-resectable AE were included in the study. By using their abdominal CT at the baseline and after a year of treatment, treatment responses of the cases were evaluated both by the stereological method via a software and by SVM, retrospectively. The volume estimation was performed in our study using a different approach that consisted of three separate stages combined with the Cavalieri method of modern design stereology. RESULTS: The response rates were -17 +/- 55% and -12 +/- 37% by the Cavalieri method and SVM, respectively; however, they were not statistically significant (P = 0.59 and 0.21 for the Cavalieri method and SVM, respectively). Although some cases had comparable results, others had different response rates, and the two methods showed no significant correlation (r = -0.31, P = 0.41). CONCLUSIONS: Because this modified method provides accurate results by reducing margin of errors, even in case of bizarre shape of AE, a correct, unbiased, and reliable management of the cases with AE via this method may be possible. Owing to lack of a correlation with SVM, it is suggested that a measurement via SVM may be wrong and its use in the evaluation of the treatment response in such cases will not be sufficient and completely true.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Gadolinium-enhanced 3D MR angiography of pulmonary hypoplasia and aplasia.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine the role of gadolinium-enhanced 3D MR angiography (MRA) in patients with suspected pulmonary hypoplasia and aplasia in a retrospective analysis of MRA and digital subtraction angiography in 11 patients with clinical and/or radiologic suspicion of pulmonary hypoplasia and aplasia. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium-enhanced 3D MRA is capable of diagnosing pulmonary hypoplasia and aplasia rapidly and accurately. Both pulmonary hypoplasia and aplasia can be shown morphologically in a noninvasive manner, obviating digital subtraction angiography.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Detection of myocardial bridging with ECG-gated MDCT and multiplanar reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of myocardial bridging in 626 patients examined with MDCT angiography of the coronary arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six hundred twenty-six patients who were referred to Florence Nightingale and Atatürk University Hospitals were involved in this study. These patients had atypical chest pain, symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease, or no significant cardiac complaint. Patients were in sinus rhythm and were premedicated with metoprolol tartrate (5 mg/mL IV bolus) to decrease the heart rate and nitroglycerin (5 mg sublingual 1 min before the examination) to dilate the coronary arteries. MDCT was performed on two different 16-MDCT scanners. RESULTS: Among the 626 patients, 22 cases (3.5%) of myocardial bridging were detected. Fifteen cases of myocardial bridging (2.4%) were located at the middle third of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), five (0.8%) were at the distal third of the LAD, and two (0.3%) were at the proximal third of the LAD. In these patients, the length of tunneled artery was between 6 and 22 mm, with a mean of 17 mm, and the depth of tunneled artery was between 1.2 and 3.3 mm, with a mean of 2.5 mm. CONCLUSION: We found the incidence of myocardial bridging in this patient group to be 3.5%. This result is in agreement with some of the angiographic studies in the literature. Our study showed that MDCT is a reliable and noninvasive tool for diagnosing coronary myocardial bridging. After evaluating resource axial images, it is necessary to also evaluate the sagittal multiplanar reconstruction images for myocardial bridging.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Omphalopagus conjoined twins: ultrafast MR imaging findings.

Conjoined twins are a rare and often catastrophic obstetrical event. Although ultrasonography is widely used in the diagnosis of conjoined twins, it may fail to demonstrate the details in fetuses with complex anomalies, especially during late pregnancy. We present an omphalopagus conjoined twins case evaluated by HASTE magnetic resonance imaging, which showed the conjunction site and cranial anomalies, and aided antenatal counseling and neonatal surgical planning.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Preoperative staging of esophageal carcinoma with multidetector CT and virtual endoscopy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), including virtual endoscopy (VE) for detection, precise localization, preoperative evaluation and staging of esophageal cancer (EC) by comparison with surgical and histopathological findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 2003 and April 2005, 44 patients with histologically proven EC underwent MDCT and VE. Among 44 patients, the findings were confirmed in 24 at surgery. The accuracy of three-dimensional MDCT for detection, localization, and staging of EC was determined, and compared with surgical finding and histopathology. RESULTS: The overall accuracy of three-dimensional multidetector row CT for detection of EC was 100% (24/24). MDCT staging was correct in 20 patients (83.3%). The T parameter was correctly assessed in 22 (91.7%) cases (understaged in 1 and overstaged in 1). The N parameter was correctly evaluated in 20 (83.4%) patients (understaged in 2 and overstaged in 2). The overall accuracy of VE for the morphologic classification of EC was 81.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional MDCT, along with VE is a promising method for preoperative evaluation and staging of EC. Although accuracy in N staging remains low in comparison to PET, it provides a larger amount of diagnostic and staging information.

Adult↗