Thymoquinone (TQ) is a plant extract that has been shown to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Because of these activities, the authors hypothesized that TQ would reduce inflammation and oxidative stress and accelerate wound closure in a rat model of deep second-degree burns. For the purposes of this study, 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups of eight rats each. Group 1 was the control group, group 2 was the silver sulfadiazine group, group 3 was treated with systemic TQ, group 4 received topical TQ, and group 5 was administered topical and systemic TQ. After the deep second-degree burn damage was created, daily dressing changes and TQ administration were continued in the study groups for a period of 21 days. Systemic TQ was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 2 mg/kg/day, whereas the topical treatment was applied using a 0.5% solution. The changes in the wound site were observed macroscopically, histopathologically, microbiologically, and biochemically in all groups. The smallest necrotic areas were observed at the end of the study in the groups that were administered a combination of systemic and topical TQ, or solely topical TQ (6.1 ± 1.6 cm and 6.7 ± 0.4 cm, respectively), whereas the largest necrotic areas were observed in the control group (11.2 ± 1.2cm). The total antioxidant state levels in the control group were significantly lower than in the other groups (P < .05), whereas the total oxidative stress levels were lower in the TQ groups compared with the control group (P < .05). The lowest bacterial counts were observed in the groups treated with both topical and systemic TQ (P < .05). TQ given systemically and/or topically reduced inflammation and oxidative stress and accelerated the rate of wound closure or reepithelialization.

In this paper, we report a case of a 14-year-old girl with congenital aplasia of the flexor pollicis longus tendon who had no other associated anomalies of thumb hypoplasia and no trauma history. Flexor pollicis longus tendon anomalies are rare; several types of this congenital anomaly have been reported in the literature. The diagnosis should be considered if a patient is unable to flex the interphalangeal joint of the thumb. A hypoplastic thumb or an absent interphalangeal joint crease may be a diagnostic feature in such cases. Besides physical examination, we also used direct radiography and magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose this rare congenital anomaly in our patient.

The inhibition of three carbonic anhydrase isozymes by a variety of sulfonamides (I) and (II) is evaluated. Derivatives (I) and (II) are very potent inhibitors of the cytosolic isozyme CA I. Compounds (II) show also excellent inhibition of the cytosolic isozyme CA II and potent inhibition of the tumor-associated isozyme hCA IX. -(TURKMEN*, H.; DURGUN, M.; YILMAZTEKIN, S.; EMUL, M.; INNOCENTI, A.; VULLO, D.; SCOZZAFAVA, A.; SUPURAN, C. T.; Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 15 (2005) 2, 367-372; Dep. Chem., Fac. Sci. Arts, Harran Univ., TR-63300 Sanliurfa, Turk.; Eng.) -R. Staver 19-145

The growth factor levels on days 7 and 14 suggest that autologous PRP can be stored at -20 °C without preservative agents, although in vivo studies are required in order to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the detected growth factor levels.

The reconstruction of intraoral defects can be challenging due to the different characteristics of the region, importance of preserving the anatomy and function, and shortage of available donor areas. The location and size of the defect guides the reconstructive surgeon through the treatment plan. Among the options available, tongue flaps have been found useful in intraoral defect reconstruction.In this study, we presented the use of tongue flaps in different kinds of intraoral defects, and compared the advantages and disadvantages with other methods. Between 2004 and 2011, tongue flaps were used in intraoral reconstruction of 11 patients (6 male and 5 female) with a mean age of 30.1. Six patients had palatal fistula, 3 had alveolar region and mouth floor defects, and 2 had lower lip defects. All of the tongue flaps planned were anterior based, 6 dorsal and 5 ventral. Second operations were carried out on the 15th or 20th postoperative days.Despite the disadvantages of being an interpolation flap which requires a second session and good patient cooperation, tongue flap is a choice for reconstruction of intraoral defects with its highly vascular structure, good mobility, localization, texture match, and low donor area morbidity.

The importance of oxygen in wound healing and the negative effects of cigarette smoking have been demonstrated in various studies. In this study, our aim was to investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) treatment on wound healing in nicotinized and nonnicotinized rats. The study was conducted on 32 Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were divided into four groups, with eight rats in each: group 1, nonnicotinized rats; group 2, nonnicotinized rats treated with HBO2; group 3, nicotinized rats; and group 4, nicotinized rats treated with HBO2. To prepare the nicotinized groups, the rats were given nicotine for 28 days. At the end of day 28, standard, deep, second-degree to third-degree burns were created on the rats. The HBO2-treated groups underwent HBO2 treatment once a day for 7 days after the creation of the burn damage. All rats were killed 21 days after injury, and the burns were subjected to macroscopic, histopathological, and microbiological evaluation. During this evaluation, the smallest necrotic areas and the lowest rate of fibrosis were observed in group 2. The largest necrotic areas and the highest inflammation and fibrosis rates were observed in the nicotine-treated group 3. When the nicotinized and nonnicotinized groups were compared separately, there was a significant difference in favor of the groups treated with HBO2. Bacterial growth was the highest in the nicotinized group 3, whereas no statistically significant difference was observed among the other groups. We conclude that HBO treatment accelerates the recovery of burn wounds and provides more effective healing by reducing the development of scars both in nicotinized and nonnicotinized rats.

The ear is a complex structure with specific anatomical landmarks and different surface contour properties. In this article, we present the results that we obtained after reconstruction of full-thickness defects of the upper and middle third of the ear including the helix using a superior auricular artery (SAA) pedicled chondrocutaneous flap.In this study, 8 patients underwent reconstructions with postauricular SAA pedicled chondrocutaneous flaps between March 2009 and May 2011. Seven patients were male (88%), and 1 patient was female (12%). The age range was between 27 and 78 years, with a mean age of 57 years. The causes of the defects were tumor excisions in 6 patients and trauma in 2 patients. No serious postoperative complications such as wound infection, wound dehiscence, or partial or total flap loss were observed in any of the patients. A good cosmetic result was obtained with this technique with maximum preservation of the anatomical landmarks and without an effect on the vertical height or projection of the ear.In our experience, the postauricular SAA pedicled chondrocutaneous flap can be used as an appropriate alternative for the treatment of full-thickness defects of the upper and middle thirds of the ear including the helix.

The greatest advantage of perforator-based nasolabial flaps is the greater mobilization achieved in comparison with the other nasolabial flaps. Thus, full-thickness defects can be repaired in 1 session in some patients, no revision is required around the flap pedicle, and much less donor area morbidity occurs. Nasal alar reconstructions performed using this type of flap lead to both esthetically and functionally satisfying results.