Hippokratia
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Case Reports
Metastatic spread of cutaneous melanoma to the sigmoid colon: a rare but important consideration.
Cutaneous melanoma is known for its aggressive tendency for metastasis, most commonly to lymph nodes, lung, liver, and brain. ⋯ Once malignancy is included in the differential for any inflammatory type bowel lesion, arranging endoscopy and biopsy is essential to confirm the diagnosis and guide management. Multidisciplinary team discussion is recommended to determine the most appropriate treatment strategy - radical versus palliative, which must always consider the patient's performance status alongside cancer staging. HIPPOKRATIA 2017, 21(4): 194-196.
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Cancer cells present higher metabolic needs in comparison to their normal, non-neoplastic counterparts, consuming carbohydrates as a source of energy. Moreover, increased fatty acid biosynthesis is noted in many malignancies. In this regard, we investigated specific metabolic markers, the fatty acid synthase (FASN) which catalyzes fatty acid synthesis and the glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) which promotes glucose transport through the cellular membrane, in normal endometrium, endometrial hyperplasia, and endometrial malignancy. ⋯ GLUT1 and FASN expression demonstrated a gradual increase when advancing from endometrial hyperplasia to carcinoma. These findings suggest that both GLUT1 and FASN immunohistochemistry might be used as an adjunct in the differentiation between atypical endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma in complex cases. HIPPOKRATIA 2017, 21(4): 169-174.
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Tattoos have become very popular in modern societies due to the gradual change in aesthetics and psychosocial acceptability. Consequently, tattoo reactions are seen more commonly than in the past. Cutaneous lesions associated with tattoos can be divided into three major groups: allergic/granulomatous/lichenoid, infectious, and coincidental lesions. Early identification and proper treatment of these skin lesions is challenging and necessitates close coοperation of different medical specialties. ⋯ This is a rare case of tattoo-associated skin reaction and mercury poisoning by the elemental form of mercury contained in the tattoo dye. In the literature, many conditions have been documented in association with tattoos and the process of tattoo application, especially when red dyes are used, but no similar cases of elemental mercury poisoning from the tattoo dye exist. HIPPOKRATIA 2017, 21(4): 197-200.
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Infertility is a major issue of concern for couples at reproductive age. The underlying causes of infertility remain unknown in 15-30 % of the cases. Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1), which is a major fibrinolytic factor, has been associated with increased infertility risk. DNA variants at PAI-1, such as -675 4G/5G promoter polymorphism, have been implicated in infertility-related reproductive disorders, possibly due to a molecular mechanism involving implantation failure. This study aims to investigate the association of PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism to otherwise unexplained female infertility in a sample of women of Greek ethnic origins. ⋯ Our results indicate that PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism is a promising screening factor which could potentially be a target for certain cases of unexplained female infertility. However, they should be interpreted with caution and should be validated in larger studies and diverse populations. In addition, other variants in genes involved in thrombophilia might need to be considered. HIPPOKRATIA 2017, 21(4): 180-185.
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The Severe Respiratory Insufficiency (SRI) questionnaire is a multidimensional, well-validated tool for the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with severe chronic respiratory failure (CRF), due to a variety of underlying disorders. The aim of this study was to validate the SRI questionnaire in the Greek language (Gr-SRI). ⋯ Greek SRI has high psychometric properties qualifying its use for HRQL assessment in patients with CRF. HIPPOKRATIA 2017, 21(4): 186-190.