Showing 96 results for Mahdi
Parivash Parvasi, Zahra Fazelinejad, Fatemeh Mahdipour, Shahram Bagheri , Mohammad Momen Gharibvand ,
Volume 80, Issue 7 (October 2022)
Abstract
Background: Shear wave elastography (SWE) estimates the stiffness of a mass based on the velocity of shear wave propagation by sound waves. Due to higher cell density and angiogenesis, malignant masses have higher stiffness than benign ones.
Methods: The present study was a prospective study and was performed on patients who were referred to Ahvaz Golestan Hospital with breast mass during March 2020 to March 2021. Only patients with 4-5 BI-RAD were evaluated. Patients were graded based on ACR BI-RAD. All patients were subjected to ultrasound and selection of BI-RAD 4-5 patients for evaluation with SWE and sampling for pathology testing. In this study, in order to increase the maximum accuracy and take samples from the main location of the lesion, sampling was done by ultrasound-guided biopsy method. Tumor information was recorded by a specialist doctor after ultrasound and SWE. This information included tumor type, tumor size and grade, presence of metastasis, involvement of lymph nodes, average and maximum elasticity. SWE cutoffs were compared for mean and maximum elasticity to distinguish benign from malignant masses.
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Results: In this study, 115 patients were evaluated. 63.5% (73) of the patients had benign mass and 36.5% (42) had malignant ones. There was a significant relationship between tumor size and mean and maximum elasticity (P<0.001 The results showed that the diagnostic accuracy of SWE in identifying malignant masses compared to benign ones was 100%, so that the mean (16.61±8.03 kPa) and maximum (21.14±8.88 kPa) elasticity in benign masses were significantly lower than the mean (32.21±7.59 kPa) and maximum (91.62±8.84 kPa) elasticity of malignant masses (P<0.001). There was also a significant difference between the 4 BI-RAD subgroups, so that in BI-RAD 4a, the lowest mean and maximum elasticity were seen (P<0.001).
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Conclusion: The results showed that SWE parameters have sufficient diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing malignant breast masses. Therefore, the use of quantitative SWE parameters in conjunction with ultrasound and BI-RADS classification can avoid unnecessary biopsies.
Majid Zamani, Masoudeh Babakhanian , Farhad Heydari , Mohammad Nasr-Esfahani , Mohammad Mahdi Zarezadeh ,
Volume 80, Issue 7 (October 2022)
Abstract
Background: In addition to heart disease, ECG also changes in non-heart disease, which due to its similarity, can lead to misdiagnosis of heart disease in patients. ECG changes in brain lesions such as ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, brain traumas, etc. and have been studied in many articles, but the effects of brain midline shift on ECG changes have not been studied. In this study, we want to examine these changes.
Methods: This is a prospective cross-sectional descriptive study. Patients with brain tumors who were referred to Al-Zahra and Kashani hospitals in Isfahan from April 2019 to March 2021 were selected. Patients with a history of heart disease, patients receiving medications that cause ECG changes, patients with ECG changes due to non-cardiac and cerebral causes, and individuals under 15 years of age were not included in the study. Patients whose ECG changes were due to electrolyte disturbances or acute heart problems were also excluded from the study. After obtaining informed consent from patients, a CT scan or brain MRI was taken and patients were divided into two groups with and without midline shift. Then the ECG was taken and ECG changes (T wave, ST segment, QTc Interval, QRS prolongation) were compared in two groups of brain tumors with and without midline shift.
Results: 136 patients were included in the study. Of these, 69 patients were in the without midline shift group and 67 patients were in the midline shift group. In the midline shift group, 3% of patients had ST segment changes and 23.9% had T wave changes, which were 1.4% and 10.1% in the without midline shift group, respectively. The mean QTc Interval in the two groups without and with midline shift was 338.26 (4 28.438) and 388.66 (37.855), respectively, and the mean QRS in the without midline shift group was 86.09 (88.9.88) ms and in the midline shift group was 94.63 (±12.83) ms.
Conclusion: Brain midline shifts can cause QRS widening, QTc interval prolongation, and T-wave changes in patients' ECGs.
Fariba Zarei , Mohammadreza Sasani, Banafsheh Zeinali-Rafsanjani , Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 80, Issue 7 (October 2022)
Abstract
Background: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is usually used to distinguish the malignant and benign nodules. Applying a biopsy needle evokes a sense of fear and pain in the patients. Although some studies refute the usefulness of local anesthesia (LA) prior to fine needle aspiration biopsy, it is still debatable. This prospective cross-sectional study intended to evaluate the effect of LA prior to fine needle aspiration biopsy on pain and anxiety considering nodule size.
Methods: Amongst the patients who were referred to Shiraz Shahid Fagihi Hospital for Thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy from August 2017 to January 2018, 114 patients participated in this study. LA was performed for 41 patients, and 73 underwent the thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration biopsy without LA. Patients' pain and anxiety were scored using the visual-analog-score and Spielberger anxiety scale. The nodules were categorized into five groups. Pain and anxiety of patients were compared considering their nodule sizes to assess the effects of LA in the reduction of pain and anxiety considering the nodule size.
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Results: The patients undergoing LA had a mean age of 44.69 years old and average body mass index (BMI) of 26.7, the patients who performed thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration biopsy without LA had a mean age of 48.17 years old with an average BMI of 26.0. The patients with the maximum nodule size of<10 mm, experienced more pain during the fine needle aspiration biopsy without LA, but there was no significant difference between the S/T-anxiety of these patients. There was no significant difference between the pain and anxiety scores of the patients with larger nodules.
Conclusion: The more pain experienced by the patients with the smallest nodules can be attributed to the need for more needle manipulation due to the small nodule size and less precision while piercing the needle into the nodule. Thus, it can be suggested that in patients with a small nodule size, less than 10mm, usage of LA prior to fine needle aspiration biopsy can reduce the pain significantly.
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Keihan Mostafavi, Fariba Ghorbani, Mojtaba Mokhber Dezfuli , Mahdieh Hazrati , Ehsan Alibeigi , Nafise Mohamadizade,
Volume 80, Issue 8 (November 2022)
Abstract
Background: Considering the high death rate of patients on the transplant waiting list, one of the most important ethical challenges of organ transplantation is the lack of transplant organs and different approaches to cover it.
Methods: The ethical issues of organ transplantation have been frequently reviewed recently.
Results: Currently, there are 4 sources for organ transplants, which are: a) organ transplant from animal to human b) transplant from a living donor c) transplant from a brain-dead donor d) transplant from a cardiac-dead donor or donors without a heartbeat, and tissue engineering research continues to prepare a transplantable organ. Each of them has its own limitation and specific consideration. In Iran, organ procurement from brain-dead donors and living donors are the most important sources. Many approaches have been considered to increase the number of procured organs from brain-death cases in the world, but have not yet been able to reduce the gap between supply and demand. Therefore, since the 1980s, the program of organ transplantation from cardiac death (donors with irreversible cardiac arrest) in the world has been reviewed again. Based on the classification of cardiac arrest patients, they are placed in two general categories: uncontrolled and controlled. In a controlled condition, death is predictable, and organ removal is possible by eliminating planned medical interventions and patient support. But in the uncontrolled state, death occurs accidentally, which is more likely to prolong the duration of hot ischemia. Italy's organ donation group has recently introduced type 6 deaths in patients on ECMO, which is mentioned as a semi-controlled group. This group is called donors with abnormal blood flow versus brain-dead donors with normal blood flow. In this study, ethical considerations for organ donation from NHBD were discussed. Regarding the procurement of organs from non-heart beating donors, there are many ethical considerations that include both the donors and the recipients. Considering that the clinical conditions of the brain-dead donors are sometimes very unstable, cardiac arrest may occur before organ harvesting. In these cases, donation after cardiac death is an option.
Conclusion: It is necessary to regulate the ethical considerations for organ procurement from NHBD
Mahdi Akbarzadeh, Danial Habibi , Goodarz Kolifarhood , Mohammad Bidkhori, Fereidoun Azizi , Maryam S. Daneshpour,
Volume 80, Issue 11 (February 2023)
Abstract
Background: Mendelian randomization (MR) is a new generation in the statistical method that uses genetic variants as instrumental variables in data from non-experimental studies to evaluate and estimate the causal effects of risk factors.
Methods: The weakness of observational studies to detect causality, the difficulties of conducting clinical trials, the dramatic advancement of Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have led to the emergence of a new type of study called MR. It is increasingly being used to determine causality MR is an approach based on meta-analysis methods. The main idea of the MR is based on using the instrument variable (IV) to find the causality between exposure and outcome. This variable does not need to adjust the confounding effects found in observational studies.
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Results: Data for this study were collected from the beginning of January 2003 to October 2020 in PubMed. Our results showed that MR has an increasing trend. The data used in MR includes summarized statistical data, individual-level data, and meta-analysis. Choosing the suitable IV is essential to successfully conduct an MR. For an unbiased estimate, three main hypotheses should be considered: 1) The IV has a strong relationship with the desired exposure (i.e., potential risk factor), 2) The IV is not related to the confounding variable, and 3) The IV is not directly related to the outcome and should only relate to the outcome through exposure. If these conditions are not met, one solution is to use robust methods. Besides, this research introduced the study designs, estimation methods, limitations, software packages, and some applications of MR in medical research.
Conclusion: When we seek to find a causal relationship, but it is not possible to use a clinical trial as a standard method, the MR design can be used in observational studies. Therefore, it is possible to obtain causal relationships between exposure and outcome using the MR.
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Mohammad Rohani, Seyed Amirhassan Habibi , Elahe Amini, Omid Aryani, Mahdi Dadfar, Hamzeh Zangeneh,
Volume 80, Issue 11 (February 2023)
Abstract
Background: chorea-acanthocytosis is a form of the autosomal recessive disease. The onset of disease symptoms usually starts from the third decade of life and presents with chorea, other abnormal movements such as eating dystonia, tongue and lip biting, vocal and motor tics, seizure, and behavioral impairment. In this study, the clinical presentations and brain imaging of these patients were reported.
Methods: In this descriptive study, information about patients with a specific movement disorder who were referred to a tertiary center in the Rasool Akram hospital (Tehran) from March 2018 to February 2019 were recorded. The inclusion criteria were the presence of chorea (a form of abnormal movement) and the presents of acanthocyte cells higher than 10% in a peripheral blood smear. The exclusion criteria were the evidence of secondary causes of the chorea or endocrine disorders. The clinical symptoms and brain imaging findings were evaluated by two expert neurologists and recorded in the patient's electronic files.
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Results: Twenty-seven eligible patients were included. 18 patients were male and 9 were female. Sixteen patients had seizures and 90% of them were categorized as generalized tonic-clonic seizures. 21 patients had eating dystonia (71 percent were male and 29 percent were female) and 18 patients had complex motor and vocal tics, 11 patients presented extra ocular movement disorders, and 11 patients had evidence of tongue and lip biting. The absence of the deep tendon reflex was detected in 23 patients. Considering all the patients' movement disorders, the prevalence of eating dystonia was significantly higher in men than in women. (P=0.049). Other abnormal movements were not different between men and female. All patients had caudate atrophy and increased signal intensity in T2/Flair sequences in caudate nuclei and putamen in the brain imaging.
Conclusion: The most common abnormal movement after chorea was eating dystonia. The male gender was more susceptible to present eating dystonia than the female. However, this superiority was not seen in other movement disorders.
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Kowsar Sadat Ashrafi, Nasser Saeedi, Parvin Soltani, Ali Sadough Abbasian , Mohammad Rafiei, Fereshteh Nejati, Mahdieh Gholamzadeh, Mojtaba Ahmadlou,
Volume 80, Issue 12 (March 2023)
Abstract
Background: Adequacy of dialysis is a very important issue in dialysis patients, so comparing the adequacy of dialysis in different dialysis methods is very important. Therefore, due to the fact that the number of people undergoing dialysis through fistulas and catheters varies in different centers, and depending on different centers, there is a possibility of decreasing or increasing the adequacy of dialysis, so we decided to do this comparison in Arak support center.
Methods: In this analytical-cross-sectional study, the dialysis patients of Hami Arak Center from April 2019 to September 2019 were divided into two groups (the first group with permanent catheter, the second group with arteriovenous fistula) based on vascular access. The both groups were matched in terms of age, sex, weight, pump speed, filter size and also the duration of dialysis. All patients were dialyzed with the same type of dialysis machine, and the duration of hemodialysis for all samples was 4 hours in each session. To confirm the reliability of the device, it was calibrated before each use and the same setting was used for all samples. The blood samples were taken from the arterial route before dialysis and starting the dilution with heparin or normal saline. Statistical models of dialysis adequacy of patients in two groups were measured using the Kt/V criterion, SPSS and AMOS data analysis was performed.
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Results: In the analysis of covariance of BUN before dialysis, there is a statistically significant difference in the studied groups (P<0.05), also in the UF and URR variables, dialysis time and the number of times of dialysis in three consecutive repetitions, there is a statistically significant difference in the studied groups. (dime fistula and catheter) are not present (P<0.05).
Conclusion: In this study, during repeated repetitions, 22% of the dialysis adequacy in the two groups did not have good adequacy, and 78% of the patients in the two groups had appropriate dialysis adequacy.
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Mohammad Hossein Kalami , Zeinab Borjian Boroujeni , Peghah Ardi, Ahmad Abolfathi, Mohsen Babaei, Ali Asadi, Mahdi Zareei,
Volume 81, Issue 1 (April 2023)
Abstract
Background: Medical Laboratories have a great impact on patient safety and 80-90% of medical diagnoses are based on the results of laboratory tests. Medical procedures from the initial diagnostic steps such as a test or a simple injection to specialized treatment steps may be erroneous. The aim of this study was to determine the type and rate of human error, equipment, materials and procedures in all stages including before analysis, during analysis and after analysis to analyze the causes and find logical solutions to reduce of them.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed in a medical center in Tehran, Iran during the years 1400-1401. Data collection was considered in accordance with the instructions of the Laboratory Affairs Department of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education regarding the type of errors in the field of job description in each of the technical and non-technical sections. Data was analyzed by IBM SPSS software, version 22 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) software.
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Results: During the period of study, the number of referred patients was about 45,000 and the number of tests 594,000. The total number of errors was 837. The ratio of errors to the patients was 1.9% and to the tests 0.15%. The 37 types of errors were identified and reported in this study. Of these, 11 types of errors were in the pre-analysis, 14 types during the analysis and 12 types of errors in the post-analysis stage. The frequency of errors in the three stages was 180(21.5%), 312(37.3%) and 345(41.2%), respectively that the errors rate did not have a normal distribution and a significant difference was observed (P<0.05, df=2).
Conclusion: Due to the variety of reported errors and the importance of their role in other stages of diagnosis and treatment, it is necessary that all human, equipment and process errors in all stages of laboratory analysis be carefully recorded and corrective and preventive measures be taken to minimize them.
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Ali Mazouri, Majid Aklamli, Mahdis Mohammadian Amiri , Pegah Taheri Fard , Danesh Aminpanah , Mahaan Memarian,
Volume 81, Issue 2 (May 2023)
Abstract
Background: Today, the health of mothers and babies is of particular importance in health systems. So far, various interventions have been implemented to improve the health of pregnant mothers. The present study aimed to compare the effect of Entonox gas and Sufentanil epidural anesthesia in labor pain on the umbilical cord blood gas analysis and neonatal Apgar score.
Methods: The present study is a clinical trial on 800 pregnant women It was done in April 2020 to January 2022 at Shahid Akbarabadi Hospital. Mothers were divided into two groups: spinal anesthesia and the group receiving Entonox gas. To measure the effectiveness, Apgar scores were measured at 1 and 5 minutes along with BE, HCO3, and PCO2 parameters. Two independent sample t-tests and ANOVA were used in SPSS version 22 software to analyze the data.
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Results: The results of the study showed that the average age of mothers participating in the study was 27 years, and the average Apgar score of 1 and 5 minutes in the group of mothers receiving Entonox gas and spinal anesthesia was 9.9 and 8.6, respectively. Also, the average Apgar score at minutes 1 and 5 in the group of mothers with spinal anesthesia was 9.8 and 8.2, respectively. The results of the analysis and comparison of the parameters obtained from the arterial gases of the umbilical cord of newborns were not significantly different between both groups of mothers. Also, no significant difference was found in Apgar scores between both groups of mothers.
Conclusion: There is no significant difference between the effectiveness of using Entonox gas with spinal analgesia in the painless delivery of mothers; Therefore, considering the cost of each intervention along with their effect may cause a difference in the two interventions. This means that although both of the interventions have the same clinical and diagnostic effects, the one which costs less, will be more preferable from the point of view of the health system.
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Samaneh Salari, Atessa Pakfetrat, Nooshin Mohtasham, Farzaneh Khosravi, Mahdi Saeedi ,
Volume 81, Issue 2 (May 2023)
Abstract
Background: Jawbone involvement and destructive bone lesions in the mandible and maxilla are reported in 30% of patients with multiple myeloma. In general, plasma cell neoplasia rarely occurs in the maxillofacial area, and an incidence of 2.6-3.3 per 100,000 people is reported for solitary plasmacytoma in jawbones. This study aims to present and evaluate a patient with multiple myeloma and the first symptoms in the maxillofacial area.
Case Presentation: The patient was a 52 years old woman complaining of painful swelling in the left area of the face that had enlarged during the last month. She was referred to the maxillofacial disease department of the Dental School of Mashhad, Iran in Feb 2022. The patient has had paresthesia in the left area of the face since 6 months ago. In the extra-oral examination, a 4×10 cm mass was observed in the left mandibular angle extending anteriorly toward the sublingual area. The oral mucosa was normal. According to the clinical profile, malignancy was considered a differential diagnosis. Incisional biopsy of the lesion revealed the proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells. The positive result of immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for CD138, performed on the specimen to confirm plasmacytoma and detection of small primary lytic lesions in the skull and spine confirmed multiple myeloma. The usual symptoms of multiple myeloma, including low back pain, were not observed. The patient underwent chemotherapy under the supervision of a hematologist.
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Conclusion: Jawbone involvement is often less mentioned as the first symptom of multiple myeloma; however, compared to the vertebral column or skull lesions, these areas are easily biopsied, providing the possibility of early detection and treatment of multiple myeloma, hence a promising disease prognosis. The concurrence of destructive bone lesions and sensory changes in the maxillofacial area is a red flag. Precise radiographic evaluation and blood tests can help early detect multiple myeloma. Awareness of general dentists about the possibility of blood dyscrasia such as multiple myeloma with such early symptoms in patients can lead to early diagnosis of patients. This report reminds inexperienced clinicians of the special importance of sensory changes in the head and neck.
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Farzaneh Boluki Moghaddam , Zhaleh Yousefi, Ali Baghery Hagh , Masoud Latifipour, Mahdi Raei,
Volume 81, Issue 3 (June 2023)
Abstract
Background: Respiratory support during the patient's anesthesia is done in different ways, such as endotracheal intubation and laryngeal mask. Endotracheal intubation is inevitably used for respiratory support in general anesthesia patients. The use of alternative methods for respiratory support during the process of general anesthesia is one of the most significant ways to control anesthesia complications. The laryngeal mask is placed around the larynx to allow spontaneous and controlled ventilation. Both of the respiratory support methods can cause complications. The purpose of this study is to compare the side effects of sore throat and hoarseness caused by two methods in surgical patients.
Methods: This study was conducted in the period from September to November 2022 on patients who were referred and underwent surgery at Baqiyatallah Hospital. The study is a cohort study that was conducted retrospectively on 60 patients who underwent any surgery with two methods of anesthesia by ETI and LMA. In order to evaluate hoarseness, the standard Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10) questionnaire was used. In order to evaluate the complication of sore throat caused by the respiratory support method, a 4-point pain checklist was used for 24 hours and 14 days after the surgery.
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Results: The findings of our study showed that the average amount of sore throat 24 hours after surgery in the LMA and ETI groups was 2.13 and 2.2, respectively, and these values 14 days later were 1.17 and 1.07, respectively. The average level of hoarseness in the 24 hours after surgery in LMA and ETI groups was 2.66 and 3.13, respectively. The statistical comparison of the severity of side effects between the two groups showed that in the LMA method, the amount of sore throat and hoarseness is less than the ETI method, although this reduction does not have a significant difference.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the rate of complications of sore throat and hoarseness in the laryngeal mask group is reduced compared to the endotracheal intubation group, although this difference is not significant.
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Abdolreza Malek, Mahdieh Vahedi, Nafiseh Pourbadakhshan,
Volume 81, Issue 4 (July 2023)
Abstract
Background: Vasculitis is a heterogeneous group of diseases that means an inflammatory process in blood vessels. Diagnosing vasculitis in children is challenging due to the variety of symptoms. Classification of childhood vasculitis is usually based on clinical phenotypes, size of affected vessels (small, medium, or large), and pathology of inflammatory infiltrates. The aim of this study is to investigate the epidemiological information on types of vasculitis and their clinical symptoms in children in eastern Iran.
Methods: This 3-year descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on all male and female patients with any vasculitis referred to the outpatient clinic and rheumatology department of Akbar Children's Hospital from the beginning of September 2017 to the end of September 2020. Has been. This study was based on information obtained from the checklist (information from the inpatient and outpatient records and information in the HIS). Checklist information included age, gender, drug history, history of surgery, clinical symptoms in different systems, season of disease onset, etc.
Results: Out of 263 children, 135 (51.33%) had Henoch-Schonlein and 100 (38/02%) of them had Kawasaki. The numbers of Behcet, Takayasu and Churg-Strauss patients were 20, three and two, respectively. In most subgroups, female patients were more common than male patients. Kawasaki and Takayasu had the lowest and highest age of onset, respectively. The most common seasons of appearance for Henoch-Schonlein and Kawasaki were autumn and summer respectively. In most subgroups, skin rashes are the most common clinical symptom, with, the most common types being petechiae and purpura.
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Conclusion: In the present study, the most common type of vasculitis diagnosed in children in eastern Iran was reported by Henoch-Schonlein and Kawasaki respectively, which was completely different from the most common types of vasculitis in adulthood and indicated the importance of age in diagnosing the type of vasculitis. The necessity of clinical suspicion of these two diseases in children with skin rashes, along with matching with other clinical findings, is undeniable.
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Somayeh Zamani, Mohammad Reza Sasani , Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 81, Issue 4 (July 2023)
Abstract
Background: MRI is the imaging modality of choice for the detection of diabetic pedal osteomyelitis. The aim of this study is to compare the STIR sequence, as the most important fluid-sensitive sequence, with contrast-enhanced images for diagnosing diabetic pedal osteomyelitis.
Methods: Medical images were compared. Moreover, the effect of adding T1W image findings to the STIR sequence was evaluated. This cross sectional study was collected and analyzed at Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, from 20 March 2016 to 22 September 2017.
Results: The final diagnosis of osteomyelitis was confirmed for 47 bones (78%). 13 bones (22%) didn't have osteomyelitis. The specificity of contrast-enhanced and STIR sequences was 92.3% and 53.8%, respectively; whereas the sensitivity of the two sequences was similar (100%). Records of 48 diabetic patients suspected of having pedal osteomyelitis referred to one of the university hospitals, who underwent foot MRI with and without contrast injection, were assessed. Overall, 48 Patient MRIs and 60 separate bony parts were evaluated. Diagnoses were confirmed by clinical correlation. Finally, sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of STIR sequence and contrast-enhanced images were compared. Moreover, the effect of addition of T1W image findings to STIR sequence was evaluated.
Conclusion: This study was performed to suggest a pulse sequence that doesn’t need contrast media injection for diagnosing diabetic pedal osteomyelitis since the previous studies showed that gadolinium-based contrast media shouldn’t be applied in patients with renal failure (glomerular filtration rate<30 ml/min/1.73m2. According to the results STIR images had the same sensitivity as T1 post-contrast images; therefore, it can be concluded that contrast media injection can be avoided using this pulse sequence. The specificity of the STIR pulse sequence was lower than that of post-contrast images which was due to the lower ability of this pulse sequence to detect secondary symptoms of osteomyelitis such as cortex disruption, sinus path, and abscess. Using the T1 pre-contrast images, specificity and diagnostic accuracy increased. Finally, it can be concluded that MRI without contrast including STIR and pre-contrast T1W images is a reliable modality for the detection of osteomyelitis in suspected diabetic patients who are more prone to renal disorders.
Taibe Ruenifard, Ali Oghazyan, Mohammad Hossien Saghi , Mahdi Ghorbanian , Ayoob Rastegar, Shahram Nazari ,
Volume 81, Issue 4 (July 2023)
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to evaluate the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of heavy metals in seven types of tobacco widely consumed in the east of the country through inhalation exposure.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted from April 2022 to October 2022 in the city of Bojnord, Iran on sook of seven popular tobacco brands. Metal concentrations in sook of tobacco were determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In order to analyze the data and ensure the accuracy of the results, the amount of metals in the samples was repeated three times, and their average was analyzed. Monte Carlo software was used to assess possible risks.
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Results: The results of this study showed heavy metal concentrations in sook tobaccos were, respectively, Fe>Zn>Mn>Ba>Pb>Ni>Cu>Mo>Cr>As>Cd. The concentration of heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium and molybdenum in Alrah brand tobacco was higher than other types of tobacco. So that the amounts of heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium and molybdenum for this brand were 14.2±0.05, 10.4±0.06 and 11.6±0.04 micrograms per gram, respectively. The hazard index (HI) values for different types of tobacco, including Al-Rah, Amordadsub, Al-Fakher, Al-Rubi, Mazaya, traditional flavorless, and Nakhle, were 2.64, 2.41, 2.05, 1.7, 1.49, 1.46, and 1.44, respectively. The lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for Amordadsub, Al-Rah, Nakhla, Mazaya, Al-Rubi, Al-Fakher, and traditional flavorless tobaccos was 2.8×10-3, 2.43×10-3, 1.72×10-3, 1.58×10-3, 1.43×10-3, 9.58×10-4, and 8.08×10-4, respectively. Lead in Alrah tobacco sook had the highest non-carcinogenic risk value with a value of 1.59.
Conclusion: According to the obtained results, Alrah tobacco sook has a higher cancer and non-cancer risk than regular tobacco and can cause non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for consumers. Thus, it is necessary to regularly monitor the quality of prevalent tobacco to reduce delete human health risks.
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Mahdieh Jamshidi, Vahid Jamshidi,
Volume 81, Issue 4 (July 2023)
Abstract
Background: Due to the fact that various factors are involved in the development of chronic kidney disease, this disease appears with different clinical and laboratory symptoms. The variety in type and number of clinical symptoms often misguides the treating physician. The aim of this study is to extract the key features of the disease and find the best data mining methods to improve the accuracy of kidney disease diagnosis.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2021 to March 2023 for 30 months at Rafsanjan Ali Ebn Abi Taleb Hospital. Predictive models were developed and tested using different combinations of disease characteristics and seven data mining methods in RapidMiner Studio software. The limitations of the study are as follows: 1) The models were based on 40-year-old and older patients records, which may limit the generalization of results to a wider age group. 2) Despite the high accuracy and comprehensiveness of the method, the models were based only on the information of kidney disease patients at Ali Ibn Abi Talib Rafsanjan Hospital. 3) The climate parameter has not been considered in the data set of the investigation to discover the hidden relationships of this parameter with the kidney disease.
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Results: The results of the experiments in this study showed that the proposed prediction model using the Bayes method and eight identified key features (age, renal biopsy, uremia, sedimentation, albumin, edema, nocturnal enuresis, and urine-specific gravity), can detect kidney disease in people of different clinical characteristics, with 99.38% accuracy.
Conclusion: Considering that the early diagnosis of kidney disease and the adoption of appropriate treatment methods can prevent the progression of kidney damage, in this study, an attempt has been made to achieve this goal by using new statistical methods and artificial intelligence techniques. Based on the proposed method and the conducted experiments, the most important features and the best data mining method were obtained, and finally, kidney disease prediction was possible with high accuracy.
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Sara Ranji, Mojtaba Shahbazi , Mahdi Shafiee Sabet , Abbas Tafakhori,
Volume 81, Issue 4 (July 2023)
Abstract
Background: Stroke is one of the most important causes of chronic pain. In patients with chronic pain medical therapy with analgesic drugs, anti-epileptic drugs, and serotonin receptor modulators is the first choice. However, for patients who are refractory to the usual medical treatments, different strategies have been proposed to treat these pains. One of these treatments involves the implantation of deep brain electrodes and deep brain stimulation in the thalamus nucleouses. In this article we are reviewing the first case done in Iran.
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Case Presentation: A 51-year-old male presented with sudden-onset left side hemiparesis and impaired sensation on the left side of the body, eight years ago. He complained of gradually developing pain on the left side of the body, adding to his symptoms. In his examination, he had dysarthria and his left extremities were spastic and their forces were decreased. Despite numerous medical treatments with gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine, carbamazepine and the replacement of an intrathecal baclofen pump during the last few years, he didn't respond very well. This goes so far as to induce severe depression symptoms, which disturbed his daily routine and even induced suicidal ideas. Due to the debilitating symptoms which were resistant to medical treatment, the patient underwent deep brain electrode implantation and deep brain stimulation in the ventral posterior lateral/posterior medial nucleuses in April 2023 at Imam Khomeini Hospital. No remarkable adverse effects were observed after implantation. In the patient’s follow-up, he had a significant improvement in pain and some other symptoms.
Conclusion: Deep brain stimulation of the thalamus nucleus is a known treatment in patients with Parkinson's disease and dystonia. However, for patients with chronic refractory pain, deep brain stimulation is a controversial therapy and has been introduced recently as an effective alternative treatment. In our patient, who suffers from severe unilateral refractory pain after stroke, a deep brain electrode was implanted and after deep brain stimulation significant improvement in pain was seen.
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Mohammad Reza Sasani , Leila Fazlollahpour , Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 81, Issue 5 (August 2023)
Abstract
Background: Ultrasound is widely used to detect renal stones. A no-contrast CT scan is the most accurate modality for stone examination. Considering that determining the size of a stone is the main criterion in treatment planning, the purpose of this study was to compare ultrasound and non-contrast CT scans in determining renal stone size.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 140 patients were assessed from June to October 2017 at Namazi Hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. A radiologist compared the CT scans of patients with their ultrasound images. The ultrasound and CT scan results in terms of stone size were assessed. The correlation rate of stone size in ultrasound and CT scans in different subgroups was assessed by categorizing the stone size into three subgroups. The impact of stone location and the CT window on measuring stone size were evaluated.
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Results: The mean stone size measured by ultrasound and CT scan was 11.23±5.26 and 9.48±4.7mm, respectively, which was significantly different. The highest rate of correlation was observed in the stones>10mm (81%) and then in 5-10mm (69.3%). The lowest agreement was observed in stones <5mm (37.5%).
Conclusion: Using ultrasonography as a screening test or a primary test for detecting the renal stones is recommended. However, considering the importance of a precise assessment of stone size in choosing the treatment method and the limitations of sonography in the evaluation of small stones, a CT scan should be considered as a standard diagnostic tool if there is no contraindication. In CT images, the application of BW might underestimate the stone size in comparison to SW. Considering the results of previous studies, it is better to use magnified BW to assess the stone size on CT scan images. Although the axial view in a CT scan is more routine, for measuring the stone size it is better to use coronal or sagittal views together with axial views.
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Hamidreza Ghasemi Basir , Mohammad Mahdi Majzoobi , Abbas Moradi, , Ali Saadatmand,
Volume 81, Issue 5 (August 2023)
Abstract
Background: Brucellosis is one of the most common infectious diseases transmitted from animal to human. Different methods of blood culture, serology, PCR and ELISA are used to diagnose brucellosis. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of ELISA tests with Brucella serological tests in patients with brucellosis.
Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study that was conducted from the beginning of April 2018 to the end of March 2019, 231 patients referred to the Infectious Diseases Clinic of Sina Hospital in Hamadan with clinical symptoms and possible diagnosis of brucellosis were included in the study. 5 cc of blood was taken from the patients to prepare serum, at the same time as Wright, Combs Wright and 2ME serology tests, IgG and IgM ELISA tests were also performed using the ELISA kit of Pishtaz Teb Company (Made in Iran), which is designed with the cut-off method. Then the test results were analyzed with SPSS software, version 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
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Results: 231 patients suspected of brucellosis including 147(63.64%) men and 84(36.36%) women with an average age of 44.60±16.16 years and a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 80 years were examined. IgG and IgM results were positive with brucellosis in 80.1% and 30.30%, respectively. The results of IgG and IgM were positive in 1/80 and 30.30%, respectively, and they were diagnosed with brucellosis. In comparison with 2ME, Wright and Coombs-Wright serology tests, the sensitivity of IgG was between 83.80% and 94.28% and its specificity was between 20 and 33.34%, the sensitivity of IgM was also between 34.78 and 40.0% and its specificity was between 78.67% and 89.47% at different cut points.
Conclusion: Compared to diagnostic serological tests for brucellosis, IgG is more sensitive and IgM is more specific. If serological tests are not available, ELISA can be used to diagnose brucellosis. But because of their lower diagnostic value, they cannot be replaced.
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Mahdi Yadollahzadeh, Nader Rezaei , Mohsen Farrokhpour , Mehdi Azimi, Maedeh Barahman, Mohammad Bahadoram , Amirhossein Forouzanmehr , Seyed Ali Javad Mousavi ,
Volume 81, Issue 6 (September 2023)
Abstract
Background: The realm of diagnosing intrathoracic lesions involves a spectrum of imaging methodologies, among which computed tomography (CT)-scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stand prominent. In the context of Iran, where there is no study comparing the efficacy of CT-scan and MRI for evaluating intrathoracic lesions, our study endeavors to bridge this gap. Mindful of the nuanced advantages and drawbacks inherent in each method, we aim to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of CT-scan and MRI in diagnosing intrathoracic lesions, focusing on patients seeking care at Firoozgar Hospital's pulmonary clinic.
Methods: Embarking on a cross-sectional exploration at Firoozgar Hospital Pulmonary Clinic in Tehran, Iran, our investigative journey unfolded between April 2020 and March 2021. Thirty patients, spanning ages 21 to 69, presenting with intra-thoracic lesions encompassing mediastinal and chest wall anomalies, underwent simultaneous CT scan and MRI examinations. In pursuit of diagnostic certainty, histopathology was ordained as the gold standard, and the ensuing results underwent meticulous scrutiny and analysis utilizing SPSS 23 statistical software.
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Results: Our study cohort comprised 30 patients, averaging 44.83 years (SD=12.71), with males constituting 60% of the population. Delving into the histological reports, CT-scan and MRI accurately diagnosed 25 (83.3%) and 28 (93.3%) cases, respectively, in retrospective analysis. The Kappa matching coefficient for CT-scan stood at 0.783, while for MRI, it soared to 0.912. A notable revelation surfaced as the Kappa matching coefficient for both CT-scan and MRI maintained a robust 0.783 (P<0.001 in all three cases).
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Conclusion: MRI might wield a superior diagnostic prowess compared to CT-scan in evaluating intrathoracic lesions. The robust Kappa matching coefficients endorse a substantial concordance between the two imaging modalities. The implications further beckon contemplation that, in select scenarios, the acquisition of biopsy and histopathology may prove redundant when scrutinizing intrathoracic lesions using the tandem approach of CT-scan and MRI. However, to etch these findings into the annals of medical certainty, a multicenter study endowed with a judicious sample size emerges as an imperative next step.
Seyed Khalil Pestehei, Mahdieh Ghiasi, Seyed-Hassan Emami-Razavi ,
Volume 81, Issue 7 (October 2023)
Abstract
Human mesenchymal stromal cells are multipotent cells capable of differentiating into the mesenchymal lineage that can be isolated from bone marrow and adipose tissue or from umbilical cord blood and fetal tissues. Among the widely characterized in vitro properties, MSCs show strong anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects on immune responses Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells derived from different tissues are promising cell-free treatments for tissue damage repair. Exosomes serve as a potential portal for cell-free drug delivery systems, as these drugs possess the properties of the parent cell from which they are derived. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play key roles in cell biology and may provide new clinical diagnostics and therapies. Exosomes, called extracellular vesicles (EcVs), are present in almost all cells, tissues, and body fluids. They contribute to intercellular signaling and maintain tissue homeostasis. The biogenesis of exosomes starts in the endosomal system. Researchers have identified 9769 proteins, 2838 miRNAs, 3408 and 1116 lipids present in exosome of mRNA cargo. Isolation of exosomes from cells, tissues and body fluids follows a different pattern. Exosomes interact with receptor cells through their surface receptor molecules and ligands and are internalized into receptor cells through micropinocytosis and phagocytosis. This varies depending on the origin of the EV, its physiological and pathological state, and even the exact site of cellular release. The composition of the protein inside can also indicate the presence of disease pathologies such as cancer or inflammatory diseases; However, exosomes also contain a number of common proteins as well as proteins involved in vesicle formation. Advanced technologies in regenerative medicine have caused researchers to use exosomes isolated from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with high regeneration ability in diseases. Exosome cargo plays a key role in diagnosis and treatment by controlling the disease process. Various studies in laboratory conditions have shown the effectiveness and therapeutic potential of exosomes in cancer, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and orthopedic diseases. This article describes the therapeutic role and potential of exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells, as well as the necessary precautions for their processing.