Hippokratia
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Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant neoplastic diseases in men. Early control of the disease progression contributes significantly to survival rates and patients' quality of life. Osteoprotegerin is a dimeric glycoprotein, which affects bone metabolism and inhibits osteoclastogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of osteoprotegerin in the serum of prostate cancer patients with or without skeletal metastases. ⋯ It seems that elevated levels of serum osteoprotegerin in patients with prostate cancer reflect the bone metastatic extent and may potentially be used in metastatic patients' follow-ups. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2): 133-138.
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Patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have impaired quality of life, but the relationship between their nutritional status and quality of life has not been established. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between quality of life and nutritional status in hospitalized COPD patients. ⋯ COPD patients were found to have a high risk of malnutrition that adversely affects their quality of life. Therefore, the evaluation of the nutritional status of COPD patients should be an integral part of their clinical treatment plans aiming towards improving their quality of life. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2):147-152.
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Capsule endoscopy (CE) remains the examination of choice for the investigation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Although the factors predicting positive CE findings in the overall obscure gastrointestinal bleeding have been investigated, the clinical characteristics that predict a positive CE in patients with past overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OOGIB) have not been systematically studied. ⋯ Certain clinical characteristics predict a positive CE in patients with past OOGIB. Patients with OOGIB and negative CE had a considerably lower rebleeding rate, and further invasive investigational procedures may be adjourned or may not be required, though such recommendation warrants further validation. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2): 127-132.
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Case Reports
Laparoscopic microwave ablation for the management of hemorrhage from ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma.
Treatment of ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) focuses on hemorrhage control and utilizes tumor vascular anatomy to palliate or temporize selected patients with hepatic artery embolization (HAE). Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) are feasible alternatives or adjunct modalities to resection of HCC; the method of energy delivery in MWA allows uniform coagulative necrosis in shorter time compared with RFA. ⋯ Tumor rupture remains a negative prognostic factor in the course of HCC. In select patients, MWA allows definitive hemorrhage control with minimal surgical morbidity. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2): 169-171.