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Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the levels of burnout among Greek residents, highlighting potential differences between those practicing at home and abroad, as well as to investigate correlations with demographic, individual and labor factors. Methods:The research was conducted on a sample of 131 residents, using an anonymous questionnaire which included demographic, individual and labor characteristics, Maslach's Burnout Inventory, questions regarding job and life satisfaction levels, working conditions and the impacts of the economic recession.Results: Fifty two point seven percent of the sample were training in the Greek National Health Service (N.H.S.), 27.5% in Germany and 19.8% in the United Kingdom. One out of three residents in the Greek system showed high levels of burnout in all three dimensions of the syndrome, while 51.1%, 72.2% and 30.8% of the Greek, British and German team, respectively, appeared burnt out simultaneously in two dimensions. Levels of job and life satisfactions ranged on average, while workload appeared heavy. Conclusions:The occurrence of burnout was associated with gender, specialty, employment characteristics (working hours, autonomy, support etc.), proneness to accidents, country, job satisfaction and quality of life, but was not associated with age or marital status. No correlation was found with susceptibility to medical errors.

Percutaneous tracheostomy is a minimally invasive operation performed in patients, in order to provide an air passage through the windpipe. A rare cause of severe bleeding during such operation is the injury of the thyroidea-ima artery. This case report presents a patient with hemorrhage after thyroidea-ima injury during percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. Surgeons should always be aware of such anatomic variation, in order to prevent urgent sternotomy.

Gynecomastia with mastodynia and galactorrhea as a paraneoplastic syndrome due to lung cancer with complete response after surgical excision is rare.A 62-year-old Caucasian male presented with mastodynia, galactorrhea and right breast enlargement. Chest x-ray revealed a left upper lobe tumor. The patient had high levels of serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (b-HCG) and prolactine. Complete staging was negative for metastases.A typical left upper lobectomy with radical mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed. Pathology report was consistent with a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (T2N1M0). Immunohistochemically, multinucleate cells and occasional mononucleate tumor cells showed positivity for human chorionic gonadotropin.The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin – navelbine. One year later physical examination showed regression of both gynecomastia and mastodynia and there was no nipple discharge, while he is free from local or distant metastatic disease and the b-HCG level is normal (1,59 mIU/ml).This case represents a very rare, first manifestation of lung cancer. Galactorrhea, mastodynia and gynecomastia were the initial symptoms, which totally resolved following the successful surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. In this case, prolactin and b-HCG are useful biomarkers during follow up for checking local or distal recurrence of the disease.

Background: Atherosclerosis is the most important cardiovascular disease across the globe with a large proportion of associated morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to detect the presence of atherosclerosis-like lesions in the three segments of the thoracic aorta (ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending aorta) of 50 unselected adult cadavers of all ages. Methods: An autopsy analysis was performed using 50 unselected adult cadavers (37 male, 13 female -mean age 64.2 years; age range 19-90 years). Macroscopic dissection of the three segments of the thoracic aorta was performed and the presence of atherosclerosis-like lesions was evaluated according to the subjects' demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: Atherosclerotic lesions in at least one of the three aortic segments were identified in 82% of cadavers, 83.78% of male and 76.92% of female. Of 50 subjects, 30% had an atherosclerotic lesion in the ascending aorta, 48% in the aortic arch and 44% in the descending aorta. No aneurysmal changes were detected. Smoking, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and coronary disease were the risk factors correlated most with the presence of atherosclerosis. Conclusions: Atherosclerosis-like lesions in the thoracic aorta are prevalent in adults of all ages. Obesity is a major risk factor regarding the development of atheromas. This cadaveric study comes to underline the necessity of further similar studies in order to evaluate the presence of atherosclerosis in the thoracic aorta, and also helps to assess the risk of major cardiovascular events in the general population.