The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical presentation of, predisposing factors in, and early and long-term outcome of patients treated surgically for intraperitoneal ruptured liver hydatid cysts. Medical records of 27 patients with traumatic rupture of hydatid cysts were evaluated retrospectively, as were records of 347 patients with nonperforated hydatid cysts. The ratio of perforation cases to nonperforation cases was 7.8%. Traffic accidents were the most common cause of perforation (n = 16). All patients had abdominal findings, and two patients (7%) had anaphylactic findings. The sensitivities of computed tomography and ultrasonography were 100% and 93%, respectively. Conservative surgical procedures were used for 80.5% of cysts and radical procedures for 19.5%. Associated organ injuries were determined in 10 patients. No significant difference was found between patients with peritoneal perforation and those without perforation in terms of sex (p = 0.403), previous hydatid disease surgery (p = 0.565), localization (p = 0.241), number of cysts (p = 0.537), presence of cystic content infection (p = 0.65), or presence of bile duct communication (p = 0.37). However, there were significant differences in age (p = 0.004), cyst diameter ( > 10 cm) (p = 0.03), and presence of superficially localized cysts (p = 0.011). Three patients developed recurrence. In the group of patients with perforation, the complication and recurrence rates were not statistically different in a comparison of surgical techniques (p = 0.37). No postoperative deaths occurred. The main predisposing factors for cyst perforation are young age and superficial localization. Peritoneal rupture increases the rates of postoperative morbidity and recurrence; in contrast, there was no significant relation between the operative procedure and the morbidity and recurrence rates.

Objective: Lipid emulsions containing omega-3 are known to have positive effects on patient's prognosis due to anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of omega-3 enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN) emulsion containing omega-9 on biochemical parameters, inflammatory mediators in septic patients. Methods: Thirty-two participants who were not fed orally for over five days and needing TPN support were included in this prospective, randomized and double-blind clinical study. Patients were randomly divided into control (n=16), treatment (n=16) groups. The treatment group received TPN containing 80% olive oil+20% soy oil additionally 10 g fish oil enriched TPN. Control group received only olive oil containing standard lipid emulsion (1.3±0.1 g/kg/day). Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis on the 1st and 6th days of study. Results: The serum albumin levels significantly increased (p<0.05) in both groups whereas total protein and prealbumin levels did not show any significant changes. In treatment group, significant decreases were determined in LTB4 and CRP levels (p<0.05) while decreases in IL-6, TNF-α and leukocyte levels were not significant. No statistically significant changes were found in LTB4, CRP, IL-6, TNF-α and leukocyte levels of controls. Conclusion: Results of the study have shown that omega-3 enriched TPN solution containing omega-9 contributes to decrease in the levels of inflammatory mediators and to improvement in the biochemical parameters in septic patients.

Background: One of the most important factors in breast cancer (BC) mortality is treatment delay. The primary goal of this survey was to identify factors affecting the total delay time (TDT) in Turkish BC patients. Methods: A total of 1031 patients with BC were surveyed using a uniform questionnaire. The time between discovering the first symptom and signing up for the first medical visit (patient delay time; PDT) and the time between the first medical visit and the start of therapy (system delay time; SDT) were modelled separately with multilevel regression. Results: The mean PDT, SDT and TDT were 4.8, 10.5 and 13.8 weeks, respectively. In all, 42% of the patients had a TDT >12 weeks. Longer PDT was significantly correlated with disregarding symptoms and having age of between 30 and 39 years. Shorter PDT was characteristic of patients who: had stronger self-examination habits, received more support from family and friends and had at least secondary education. Predictors of longer SDT included disregard of symptoms, distrust in success of therapy and medical system and having PDT in excess of 4 weeks. Shorter SDT was linked to the age of >60 years. Patients who were diagnosed during a periodic check-up or opportunistic mammography displayed shorter SDT compared with those who had symptomatic BC and their first medical examination was by a surgeon. Conclusion: TDT in Turkey is long and remains a major problem. Delays can be reduced by increasing BC awareness, implementing organized population-based screening programmes and founding cancer centres.

Background: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is an uncommon chronic inflammatory disease of the breast with uncertain optimal treatment regimen. In this study, our purpose was to report our clinical experience with 74 IGM patients who were treated wide local excision with or without steroid therapy. Patients and Method: 74 cases diagnosed histologically as IGM were identified from surgical and pathological records between January 1995 and January 2012. Group 1 (surgery-only group) comprised 53 patients, and the 21 patients in group 2 were treated with corticosteroids prior to surgical treatment (steroid-and-surgery group). Results: Follow-up data were complete for 67 (91.7%) of the 73 patients. Recurrence developed in 4 (7.5%) patients in the surgery-only group, while there was no recurrence in the steroid-and-surgery group; the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.19). Conclusion: Systemic steroid therapy with surgical resection is the recommended first-line treatment strategy for IGM.

Hydatidosis (echinococcosis) is endemic in the Mediterranean region, including Turkey. We evaluated the problem of perforation in hydatidosis. The clinical data on 21 patients with intra-abdominal hydatid cyst perforation who were treated in the last 10 years were evaluated retrospectively. Twelve patients (57%) were men and nine (43%) were women. Their average age was 40 (range ‫ס‬ 20-65). Blunt trauma was the etiologic mechanism in four cases (19%). Except for a case with a cyst in the left inguinal region, most (95%) of the patients had primary hepatic hydatidosis (95%). The procedures used on the 30 cysts found in 21 patients were as follows: partial cystectomy and drainage in 21 (70%), total cystectomy in 5 (17%), partial cystectomy plus omentopexy in 2 (7%), and drainage plus vacuum obliteration in 2 (7%). The average postoperative hospital stay was 12 days (range ‫ס‬ 6-30). Two patients (10%) had complications: an incisional hernia developed in one patient, and a gastrocutaneous fistula developed in the other. Albendazole (10 mg/kg/day) was prescribed for two months. The mean follow-up time was 80 months (range ‫ס‬ 6-131). Three patients (14%) underwent additional surgery for recurrence at various times. The morbidity and mortality associated with perforated hydatid cysts were higher when compared with that of nonperforated cysts. Hydatidosis is endemic in Turkey and traffic accidents are common. When these factors coexist, hydatid perforation should be considered in trauma patients with stable hemodynamics, but suspicious abdominal findings. The choice of the operative approach should be based on the experience of the surgeon and regional characteristics.

Aim: This study was performed to determine the effects of glutamine enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN) on the patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). Method: Forty patients with AP, who had Ranson's score between 2 and 4 received either standard TPN (control group) or TPN with glutamine (treatment group). The patients in the treatment group received TPN containing 0.3 g/kg/days glutamine. At the end of the study, patients were evaluated for nutritional and inflammatory parameters, length of TPN and length of hospital stay.Results: The length of TPN applications were 10.573.6 days and 11.672.5 days, and the length of hospital stays were 14.274.4 and 16.473.9 days for the treatment and control groups (NS), and the complication rates in the treatment and control groups were 10 and 40%, respectively (Po0.05). The transferrin level increased by 11.7% in the group that received glutamine-enriched TPN (Po0.05), whereas the transferrin level decreased by 12.1% in the control group (NS). At the end of the study, slight but not significant changes were determined in both groups in fasting blood sugar, albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, total cholesterol concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, leukocytes, CD 4 , CD 8 , serum Zn, Ca and P levels compare to the baseline levels (NS). Significant decreases were determined in serum lipase, amylase activities and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in both groups (Po0.05). Conclusions:The results of this study have shown that glutamine supplementation to TPN have beneficial effects on the prevention of complications in patients with AP.

Abstract. In the absence of hepatic and pulmonary involvement, hydatid disease of other organs is extremely rare. In this paper, we report on a patient who had a solitary subcutaneous hydatid cyst in the submandibular region.

Laparoscopic splenectomy is likely becoming the gold standard in the surgical treatment of hematologic diseases.