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Introduction No clear information exists about the factors affecting pleural thickening following parapneumonic effusion in children. We aimed to investigate factors that affect the resolving time of pleural thickening after parapneumonic effusion. Methods Between the years of 2007-18, 91 patients, which were followed due to diagnosis of pleural thickening after parapneumonic effusion, were assessed. Ages, complaints, physical examination findings, laboratory results, chest x-ray and ultrasonography findings, treatments, duration of treatment and recovery time of the patients were examined terms in of pleural thickening resolving time. Results The mean age of patients was 7.5 ± 5.0 years. Pleural thickening resolving time was 151 ± 6.8 days. The resolving time for pleural thickening was delayed with older ages, longer duration of complaints, fever before hospital admission and treatment, lower oxygen saturation at the time of admission, crackles in the physical examination, higher white blood cell count and pleural fluid density (p = 0.018, p = 0.001, p = 0.021, p = 0.020, p = 0.024, p = 0.025, p = 0.021, p = 0.019). In addition, the amount of effusion measured by thorax ultrasonography, fibrinolytic usage, and complications had a role in the delayed resolving time (p = 0.034, p = 0.001, p = 0.034). Pleural thickening resolved in 80% of the patients. Conclusion In this report, 80% of pleural thickening, following parapneumonic effusion resolved within 5 months. Patients who do not have a complication during follow-up are not required to monitor with frequent chest x-ray. Patients with a higher amount of pleural effusion, complications and need for fibrinolytic treatment should be followed more carefully.

We aimed to search if the renal parenchymal attenuation measurements on unenhanced CT scans could be useful in differentiating acutely obstructed kidneys from chronic cases or unobstructed kidneys.Unenhanced CT scans of 101 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-two patients with unilateral acute renal obstruction, 34 patients with unilateral chronic renal obstruction due to various reasons and 35 control subjects were included in the study. The parenchymal densities of both kidneys were measured, from the upper poles, middle portions, and lower poles of each kidney. The mean parenchymal densities of both kidneys were calculated in all three groups of subjects. Secondary signs of renal obstruction such as perinephric stranding, size of ureteral stone, degree of hydronephrosis were also noted for each kidney.The mean parenchymal attenuation value on the acutely obstructed side was lower than the unobstructed side, 24.21 ± 3.68 and 30.68 ± 4.75 respectively (p0.001). The mean parenchymal attenuation value on the acutely obstructed side (24.21 ± 3.68) was lower than both the chronically obstructed side (30.85 ± 4.53), and the control subjects (29.62 ± 3.03 on corresponding side). There was no statistically significant attenuation difference between right and left kidneys in the control group and chronic obstruction group.Renal parenchymal attenuation measurements and attenuation differences of both kidney of same patient could be useful in differentiating acute unilateral obstruction from chronic cases.

It is aimed to determine the learning styles and the influential factors of term 1 students of Turkish and English Departments of medical faculty at Gazi University in 2009-2010 educational semesters. The population of the study comprises 374 students. Questions for demographic features, Grasha Reichman Students Learning Style Scale and academic performance scores were used for gathering data. Independent, collaborative and dependent learning styles scores were higher than other styles in Turkish department students. Independent and collaborative learning styles scores were higher than other styles in English department students. Competitive learning style scores of girls and boys were lower than other styles in both departments. It is determined that there were positive correlation between only Problem Based Learning score with collaborative learning style scores of Turkish department students; negative correlation was between Clinical Skill Education score with dependent learning style scores; and positive correlation between Evidence Based Medicine score with avoidant learning style scores of English department students. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Huseyin Uzunboylu

The treatment of tuberculosis (TB) requires long-term multiple drug use. Hyperuricemia is frequently reported in adults, but there are few data for the pediatric population. This study aimed to review drug-related side effects in pediatric patients that received treatment for TB. Patients with active TB undergoing treatment were followed for drug-related side effects. During the 7 year period, 23 patients with a mean age of 7.9 +/- 4.66 years were treated. Drug-related side effects were observed in 14 patients. Hyperuricemia occurred in 12 of the 14 patients, vs. hepatotoxicity in 2. In all, eight of the patients with hyperuricemia had >= 2 episodes during pyrazinamide (PZA) therapy. Based on these findings, we devised an algorithm that could be used for the management of hyperuricemia in patients receiving PZA because of TB, and recommend that hyperuricemia be closely monitored during PZA therapy.

The objective of our study was to evaluate the ability of a respiratory navigator-triggered T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE) sequence with a prospective acquisition correction (PACE) technique for MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) to depict the biliary anatomy of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) donors.Forty potential LDLT donors who ranged in age from 19 to 54 years were prospectively evaluated with preoperative MRCP. MRCP was performed with a 1.5-T magnetic field using T2-weighted PACE TSE sequence. MRCP source data sets were processed with maximum-intensity-projection (MIP) and shaded surface display (SSD) algorithms. Findings were compared with intraoperative cholangiography. Biliary anatomy was classified according to the classification proposed by Huang and colleagues. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of MRCP for the detection of aberrant biliary anatomy were calculated.Intraoperative cholangiography and biliary exploration revealed that 27 donor candidates (67.5%) had conventional and 13 (32.5%) had aberrant biliary anatomy. Two donors (5%) had type B biliary anatomy; eight donors (20%), type C; two donors (5%), type D; and one donor (2.5%), unclassified. The sensitivity of MRCP source data sets in differentiating aberrant biliary anatomies from nonaberrant ones was 100%, the specificity was 88.9%, and the accuracy was 92.5%. PPV and NPV were 81.3% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity of MIP images in differentiating aberrant biliary anatomies was 100%, the specificity was 88.9%, and the accuracy was 92.5%. PPV and NPV were 81.3% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of the SSD images in detecting aberrant biliary anatomies were 100%, 77.8%, 85%, 68.4%, and 100%, respectively.Preoperative MRCP using a respiratory navigator-triggered T2-weighted TSE sequence with a PACE technique accurately depicts the biliary anatomy in LDLT donors and may guide intraoperative management of the biliary tract.