Biomedical subjects

Ragip Ozkan

Publications and source records attributed to Ragip Ozkan.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Relapsing polychondritis.

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare, inflammatory disease with multisystem involvement and it should be considered in the aetiology of sudden respiratory distress. A 49-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency service of Osmangazi Hospital in acute respiratory distress. She had a tracheostomy following a diagnosis of laryngeal stenosis 10 years earlier. She was managed thereafter at another hospital with a diagnosis of asthma. At admission she was in respiratory distress, had arthralgias, bilateral subconjunctival hyperaemia, periorbital oedema and skin lesions. A thoracic CT showed tracheal wall thickening. Calcification of the auricular regions were noted bilaterally. Bronchi, conjunctiva and skin lesions were biopsied with a provisional diagnosis of RP. The diagnosis of RP in this patient was based on clinical, pathological and radiological findings. Steroid therapy was begun and she was referred to a surgical centre for stenting. This case report emphasizes the need to consider the possibility of RP as a cause of sudden respiratory distress.

Female↗

PubMed2002

Computed tomography features in malignant pleural mesothelioma and other commonly seen pleural diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the computed tomography (CT) features of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) cases, comparing them to those in other malignant and benign pleural diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the CT findings of 215 patients; 99 with MPM, 39 with metastatic pleural disease (MPD), and 77 with benign pleural disease. The findings were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analysis for differentiation of pleural diseases. RESULTS: In patients with MPM, the most common CT features were circumferential lung encasement by multiple nodules (28%); pleural thickening with irregular pleuropulmonary margins (26%); and pleural thickening with superimposed nodules (20%). In the majority (70%) of cases, there was rind-like extension of tumor on the pleural surfaces. In multivariate analysis, the CT findings of "rind-like pleural involvement", "mediastinal pleural involvement", and "pleural thickness more than 1 cm" were independent findings in differentiating MPM from MPD with the sensitivity/specificity values of 70/85, 85/67, and 59/82, respectively. "Rind-like pleural involvement", "mediastinal pleural involvement", "pleural nodularity" and "pleural thickness more than 1 cm" were independent findings for differentiation of malignant pleural diseases (MPM+MPD) from benign pleural disease with the sensitivity/specificity values of 54/95, 70/83, 38/96, and 47/64, respectively. Invasion of thoracic structures such as pericardium, chest wall, diaphragm, mediastinum, with pleural disease and nodular involvement of fissures, was detected infrequently; however, since these invasions were not seen in benign pleural diseases, it was concluded these invasions, if detected on a CT scan, directly suggested malignancy. CONCLUSION: A patient has extremely high probability of malignant pleural disease if one or more of these CT findings are found and the possibility of MPM is high. These findings may be important for patients in bad state or patients who do not want any invasive biopsy procedures. It is also possible to identify cases with a low probability of malignant disease.

Asbestosis↗

PubMed2002

High-resolution computed tomography findings are correlated with disease severity in asthma.

BACKGROUND: The structural changes in the airways of asthmatics are also referred to as remodeling and can be identified using high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT). OBJECTIVES: To find out whether there are any abnormal HRCT features which can be attributed to asthma and their clinical correlates, and any differences of abnormal HRCT features between asthmatics and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: We performed (HRCT) scans to assess airway remodeling in 160 nonsmoker asthmatics compared with 27 patients with COPD. RESULTS: Bronchial wall thickening, hyperlucency, centrilobular prominence, bronchiectasis, thick linear opacities and mucoid impaction were all correlated with disease severity in asthma. FEV(1) values were inversely correlated with bronchial wall thickening, hyperlucency, mucoid impaction, linear shadows, centrilobular prominence and bronchiectasis. In addition, thick linear opacities, mucoid impaction and bronchiectasis were more prominent in those patients with a long duration of asthma. Bronchial wall thickening, thick linear opacities, mucoid impaction, bronchiectasis and emphysema were more prominent in COPD patients compared with asthmatics. There was no difference with regard to age, mean values of FEV(1) and the duration of asthma between allergic and nonallergic asthmatics as well as abnormal HRCT findings. CONCLUSIONS: COPD patients have more prominent HRCT findings as compared with asthmatics. In the asthmatics, abnormal HRCT findings are more prominent with increased severity, decreased FEV(1) values and the duration of asthma. The remodelling of airways in allergic asthmatics did not differ from that in their nonallergic counterparts as determined by HRCT.

Adult↗