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Objectives: To evaluate the beneficial effects of spirulina on the treatment of experimental colitis., Background: Spirulina, a planktonic blue green algae from oascillateriaceae family, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-viral, and antimicrobial effects, rendering it a natural drug of prophylactic and therapeutic properties. The effects of spirulina on colitis are not known., Methods: Wistar rats weighing 200-300 g were used. Experimental colitis was created during anesthesia using the trinitrobenzene sulfonic (TNBS) acid. The rats were randomly divided into the 3 groups. In the group 1 (sham; n = 8), saline was administered via oral gavage 7 days after 1 ml of rectal saline was administered. In the group 2 (experimental colitis + spirulina; n = 8), 2 g/kg spirulina was administered via oral gavage 7 days after the rectal 1 ml TNBS was administered. In group 3 (experimental colitis; n = 8), enema was administered via oral gavage 7 days after the rectal 1 ml TNBS was administered. Eight days after the instigation of TNBS colitis, the rats were sacrificed and blood and tissue samples were taken. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluations were conducted, and malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant status (TAS), and glutathione (GSH) levels were determined., Results: Inflammation on mucosa and submucosa, hemorrhage, necrosis, cellular infiltration and crypt abscess formation, immunoreactivity and tissue MDA levels were decreased in the experimental colitis + spirulina group when compared to the experimental colitis group (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate the beneficial effects of spirulina on TNBS-induced inflammatory bowel disease (Tab. 6, Fig. 10, Ref. 40).

We aimed to evaluate the role of a synthetic somatostatin analogue in delay procedure of experimental skin flaps. Thirty-six rats were randomly divided into 2 groups of 18 each to compare the possible local ischemic effect of octreotide with that of surgical delay in the dorsal random pattern skin flap model. The inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression was assessed in the flap territory at intervals of immediate, 24 and 48 hours after preconditioning. Histologic analysis was performed in rats at 48th hour and 3 additional rats were used for microangiography. A gradual increase of daily transcript levels was detected in both groups (P < 0.05). The differences of molecular and histologic findings between the groups were not distinctive. Pharmacologically preconditioned rat displayed relevant microvascular features. Forty rats were further grouped randomly into 4 groups of 10 each. In group 1 rats, flaps were raised and reinserted without any prior intervention. Group 2 rats underwent surgical delay procedure, whereas flap territories of the others received either saline solution or octreotide 1 week before the ultimate flap harvest. After another 7-day period, both delay procedures were found effective in improving flap viability (P < 0.01). Ischemia induced by octreotide favored to investigate its utility in delay phenomenon. Although it was not as effective as the surgical delay procedure, it may be a safe pharmacologic alternative to improve the flap survival.

Objectives: Thirty-nine percent of the ankle and midfoot fractures in ankle distortions could be missed during initial evaluation in emergency department because of inadequate clinical and radiological evaluation in a limited time. We aimed to evaluate the follow-up and treatment outcomes of subjects with missed fractures, which were not diagnosed with plain radiographs obtained for ankle distortion, but with advanced imaging studies., Methods: Eight patients (4 females, 4 males) who were initially treated with a diagnosis of ankle distortion due to trauma between 2004 and 2008 were included in the study. Since there were no fractures in the initial radiographs reported by radiologists, conservative treatment was applied. However, the pain and swelling around the ankle were sustained and advanced imaging studies revealed talus fracture. All patients were evaluated with the scoring system of American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS)., Results: Mean age of the patients was 22.37 years (range 20-40 years) at the initial fracture diagnosis. The talar neck fracture was diagnosed with computed tomography (CT) in 1 patient and with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the remaining 7 patients. Mean follow-up time was 6 months (range 3-8 months), and mean AOFAS score at last follow-up was 93.7 (range 80-100)., Conclusion: Talus fractures can lead to serious complications because of its anatomical localization. Areas with edema, tenderness or pain should be defined on physical examination, and deep palpation should be applied on the lateral aspect of the talar neck. If there is pain in this area at late examination and no fracture was reported with conventional radiographs, the possibility of missed talar fracture should be considered and the patient should be evaluated with CT or MRI.

Background: Streptococcus mitis is prevalent in the normal flora of the oropharynx, the female genital tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. Although it is usually considered to have low virulence and pathogenicity, Streptococcus mitis may cause life-threatening infections, particularly endocarditis. Meningitis with S. mitis is rare, but has been described in individuals with previous spinal anesthesia, neurosurgical procedure, malignancy, or neurological complications of endocarditis., Case Report: A 58-year-old, alcoholic male patient with a high fever, headache, and changes in mental status was admitted to hospital with the diagnosis of meningitis. S. mitis, isolated from cerebrospinal fluid, was sensitive to penicillin. He was given a 14-day course of ampicillin and made a full clinical recovery., Conclusions: The purpose of this report is to emphasize the importance of the occurrence of S. mitis meningitis in patients with concomitant factors such as older age (>50 years), alcoholism, poor oral hygiene, and maxillary sinusitis.

It is difficult to distinguish muscle, vessel, nerve, fascia, tendon and many other structures in fetal sections. The aim of the study reported here was to research the practicability of orcein-picroindigocarmine staining for distinguishing anatomic structures in histological sections containing complex structures. Histological serial sections of hand, foot, head and neck of four 18- to 20-week old fetuses were used. Bone matrix was stained bright blue, collagen fibers tones of green to blue, elastic fibers brown, cartilage matrix tones of pink, and chondroblasts blue. Muscles and erythrocytes were stained yellow to green, epidermis reddish brown, skin appendices including hair and nail stained light yellow to green.

Background Context: Spinal extradural angiolipomas are rare benign tumors, and most of them are noninfiltrating tumors located in the extradural space. However, there are 17 cases with extradural infiltrating spinal angiolipomas extending into the vertebral bodies or posterior vertebral arches in literature. These 17 tumors are mostly located at the thoracic region, and anterior or in the anterolateral extradural space, and they generally infiltrate only one vertebra. Only two of them are located at the lumbar region, four are mainly located in the posterior extradural space, and three infiltrate more than one vertebra., Purpose: To present an exceptional case with infiltrating extradural spinal angiolipoma involving two lumbar segments and mainly located in the posterior extradural space., Study Design: A case report., Methods: A 41-year-old woman with infiltrating spinal angiolipoma was treated by incomplete surgical removal of the tumor., Results: There were no complaints nor recurrence after 18 months follow-up., Conclusions: Outcome after surgery for spinal angiolipomas is very good overall even in the cases with infiltrating tumors. Although complete removal is certainly preferred, outcomes remained favorable despite incomplete resections.

Background: In this report we describe the in vivo antibacterial activity of linezolid in an experimental graft infection model in rats and compare it with teicoplanin. The objective of this study was also to determine the effects of the interaction of linezolid when it was combined with rifampicin and test this effect against strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis., Materials and Methods: Graft infections were established in the subcutaneous tissue of 130 Wistar rats by implantation of Dacron grafts followed by a topical inoculation with 2 x 10(7) CFU of clinical isolates of MRSA and MRSE. The study included a control group and six groups for each of the staphylococcal strains: an inoculated group that did not receive any antibiotic prophylaxis, two inoculated groups that received intraperitoneal prophylaxis with teicoplanin or linezolid alone, an inoculated group that received rifampicin-soaked grafts, and two inoculated groups that received a combination prophylaxis consisting of intraperitoneal teicoplanin or linezolid and rifampicin-soaked grafts., Results: There was a reduction in the quantitative bacterial graft cultures in all prophylaxis groups when compared with inoculated control groups. There was not a statistically significant difference between linezolid and teicoplanin prophylaxis groups. The best results were obtained by a combination of rifampicin-soaked grafts with linezolid or teicoplanin., Conclusions: We found no evidence to suggest that linezolid differs from teicoplanin regarding effectiveness in the prevention of prosthetic vascular graft infection. Linezolid plus rifampicin and teicoplanin plus rifampicin are demonstrated to be valuable prophylactic regimens.

Because slime-forming microorganisms are the major causative agents of graft infections, we aimed to investigate bacterial adherence in slime-forming and nonslime-forming Staphylococcus aureus and to determine the role of neuraminidase (NANase) on adherence to gelatin-impregnated polyester fiber graft fabric. An in vitro model was developed to quantitatively measure bacterial adherence to the surface of the graft. The grafts were divided into two groups - those colonized with slime-forming S. aureus and those colonized with nonslime-forming S. aureus. The grafts were put into sterile tubes and human plasma was instilled and incubated at 37 degrees C to perform fibrin deposition on the grafts. After 48 h of incubation, grafts were drained and inoculated with slime-forming or nonslime-forming S. aureus in triptic soy broth in the presence or absence of NANase. Following 36 h of incubation at 36 degrees C, grafts were vortexed and cultured to perform a colony count. Bacterial counts were expressed as total colony-forming units per square centimeter of graft. Slime-forming S. aureus had greater affinity with the graft compared with nonslime-forming S. aureus (P < 0.05). The adherence of slime-forming S. aureus was impaired by NANase treatment (P < 0.001) but NANase treatment of nonslime-forming S. aureus did not change the adherence to the graft (P > 0.05). These results show that slime plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular graft infection. Adherence of slime-forming S. aureus can be decreased by NANase treatment. This may have implications for the development of neuraminidase-embedded vascular grafts to diminish biomaterial-related infections.

This 50-year-old woman presented with a paravertebral lumbar fibromatosis (desmoid tumor) after undergoing the placement of instrumentation for lumbar spondylolisthesis. The tumor developed just cranial to the previous skin incision. Fibromatoses, or desmoid tumors, are uncommon infiltrative lesions that affect musculoaponeurotic structures, most often of the trunk and limbs. They are known to occur in association with surgery-related scars or implants and only rare examples appear in the neurosurgical and spine-related literature. In cases involving well-defined tumors in which radical resection is possible, surgery is the treatment of choice; however, the recurrence rate is high. The patient in the present case was followed for 14 months postoperatively and did not undergo radiotherapy; there was no recurrence. Although rare, this distinctive tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis of postoperative paravertebral bulgings after neurosurgical and spinal operations.

Background: Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts are used for intracranial pressure management and temporary cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage. Infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CSF shunts. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical features, pathogens, and outcomes of 22 patients with CSF shunt infections collected over 4 years., Methods: The patients with shunt insertions were evaluated using; age, sex, etiology of hydrocephalus, shunt infection numbers, biochemical and microbiological parameters, prognosis, clinical infection features and clinical outcome., Results: The most common causes of the etiology of hydrocephalus in shunt infected patients were congenital hydrocephalus-myelomeningocele (32%) and meningitis (23%). The commonest causative microorganism identified was Staphylococcus (S.) aureus, followed by Acinetobacter spp., and S. epidermidis., Conclusion: In a case of a shunt infection the timely usage of appropriate antibiotics, according to the antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and the removal of the shunt apparatus is essential for successful treatment.

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the in vivo efficacy of local and systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of Staphylococcus (S.) epidermidis graft infection in a rat model and to evaluate the bacterial adherence to frequently used prosthetic graft materials., Methods: Graft infections were established in the subcutaneous tissue of 120 male Wistar rats by implantation of Dacron/ePTFE grafts followed by topical inoculation with 2 x 10(7) CFUs of clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis. Each of the graft series included a control group, one contaminated group that did not receive any antibiotic prophylaxis, two contaminated groups that received systemic prophylaxis with teicoplanin or levofloxacin and two contaminated groups that received teicoplanin-soaked or levofloxacin-soaked grafts. The grafts were removed 7 days after implantation and evaluated by quantitative culture., Results: There was significant bacterial growth inhibition in the groups given systemic or local prophylaxis (P < 0.05). Methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis had greater affinity to Dacron graft when compared with ePTFE graft in the untreated contaminated groups (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the usage of systemic or local prophylaxis and preference of ePTFE graft can be useful in reducing the risk of vascular graft infections caused by staphylococcal strains with high levels of resistance.

Juvenile hyaline fibromatosis (JHF) is a rare systemic disease characterized by papulonodular skin lesions, gingival hyperplasia, joint contractures, and osteolytic lesions on long bones and the skull. It has recently been reported that the disease is caused by mutations in the gene encoding capillary morphogenesis protein-2 (CMG-2). To date, fewer than 60 cases have been published in the literature. Partial disease expression is common, but no cases featuring a solitary calvarial lesion have been reported. The authors discuss this 4-year-old boy with a solitary calvarial osteolytic lesion whose histopathological examination exhibited findings characteristic of JHF. Mutational analysis, however, revealed that there were no mutations in the CMG-2 gene. Two years after surgery, he was free of any complaints as well as gingival hyperplasia, joint contractures, and new skull or skin lesions. This patient's condition may represent clinical or genetic heterogeneity associated with JHF. Whether solitary lesions mimicking JHF can arise from somatic mutation of the CMG-2 gene remains to be proven.

A prospective study was designed in order to determine to what extent antibiotics are used in treating community-acquired infections and their costs. Between February and July 2001 a total of 43,011 prescriptions from a representative sample of pharmacies in the city of Denizli (Turkey) were evaluated during the study period. Antibiotics accounted for 16.4 % of total prescriptions and 30.8% of the market value of drugs. Penicillins (49.7%), followed by cephalosporins (17.3%), macrolides (9.5%), and aminoglycosides (7.6%) were the most frequently prescribed antibiotics during the study period. The economic burden of antibiotic usage in the community is found higher than in developed countries. In order to reduce this cost the proper use of antibiotics is a matter of urgency

Objective: To assess the quality of antibiotic prophylaxis for clean and clean-contaminated elective surgical procedures., Design: A cross-sectional, country-wide survey., Setting: Thirty-six hospitals in 12 cities in Turkey., Participants: Four hundred thirty-nine surgeons from 6 different specialties who performed selected procedures of interest., Methods: A random sample of surgeons from different hospitals was selected. A standardized data collection form was used to record the type of procedure, the names, doses, timing of the first doses, and duration of antibiotics, important decisive factors, and problems in the management of prophylactic antibiotic use for surgical procedures., Results: Fifty-five percent of surgeons addressed completed the survey. For clean-contaminated procedures, 6% of surgeons did not use antibiotic prophylaxis, whereas 88% used more than a single dose. Inappropriate antibiotics were chosen for 32% of procedures. In 39% of procedures, the first dose of antibiotics was not administered during induction of anesthesia. Duration of prophylaxis was longer than 24 hours in 80% and longer than 48 hours in 46% of all procedures. Only 112 surgeons (26%) were using definitely appropriate prophylaxis in all ways. Multivariate analysis revealed that surgeons in university hospitals (OR, 2.353; CI95, 1.426-3.884; P = .001) and general surgeons (OR, 4.986; CI95, 2.890-8.604; P < .001) used antibiotic prophylaxis more appropriately. Patients not covered by health insurance (OR, 0.417; CI95 0.225-0.772; P < .001) were associated with inappropriate prophylaxis., Conclusion: Given the high frequency of antibiotics prescribed for surgical prophylaxis in Turkey, adherence to surgical prophylaxis guidelines is urgently needed.

Variations in the anatomy of the inferior alveolar nerve were seen in 2 of the 20 dissections of the infratemporal fossa in 10 cadavers. A connecting nerve branch that originated from the auriculotemporal nerve joined the inferior alveolar nerve on both sides. The second part of the maxillary artery passed between the mandibular nerve, the root of the inferior alveolar nerve, and the connecting nerve branch which formed a loop. The maxillary artery seemed to be entrapped. Neurovascular entrapment can cause pain and numbness. Anatomical variations in this region should be kept in mind, particularly in cases of failed treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

The bony pelvis provides more obvious sex differences than any other bone in the human skeleton. This study evaluates a bony extension of the medial aspect of the greater sciatic notch, which extends caudad to the arcuate line as seen on pelvic radiographs. A total of 2620 randomly selected supine pelvic radiographs (anteroposterior view) of adult females and males were reviewed. The subjects belonged to a central Anatolian population and their age ranged between 18 and 77 years in females and between 18 and 81 years in males. Only 22 (1.7%) of the 1337 female pelvic radiographs showed a bony extension, whereas 882 (68.8%) of the males had one. All these bony extensions were bilateral and symmetric. The results were statistically significant (P < 0.001). We assert that this radiographic appearance is a male characteristic.

The preauricular sulcus is a groove frequently seen on the iliac bone, adjacent and parallel to the inferior surface of the sacroiliac joint. It has been described as a characteristic of the female pelvis. A total of 3200 pelvic radiographs (1508 male and 1692 female) were examined and in 393 female (about 23%) the preauricular sulcus was encountered. None was seen in male radiographs.

Two methods can be used in order to demonstrate the nerve distribution of an organ. One is the three-dimensional reconstruction of the innervation pattern of the organ by tracing images of that organ from serial histological sections. The other is the in toto staining of the organ with subsequent clearing of the muscles. In the present study, in order to visualize the nerve distribution of the organ, that organ was completely cleared and the nerve fibres were stained. Detailed morphological structure of the intramuscular nerve distribution of a certain region and its functions are of importance not only for anatomists and physiologists but also for clinicians. In this study eight New Zealand rabbits were used to visualize the intramuscular nerve distribution of the muscles involved in mastication (temporalis m., pterygoideus medialis m., digastricus m., retractor mandibulae m. and masseter m.). The main nerve bundle was observed entering into the muscle as a single trunk and dividing into three branches in the muscle. These branches were also observed dividing into several subbranches while going to the periphery. When the samples were examined under a stereomicroscope, 'Y'-, 'I'- and 'O'-shaped communications between those branches were observed.

During cadaver dissection for student education in the anatomy laboratory of Gazi University Medical School, anomalies of the upper and lower polar artery were observed on the left kidney besides bilateral ureter duplication in a 65 year old male cadaver. On the right side the duplication was incomplete, starting from two separate renal pelvises, joining at the medial border of psoas major muscle and terminating as a single specify at the level of urine bladder. On the left side the duplication was complete. The ureters started from two different renal pelvises and terminated separately. In addition, two polar arteries were observed on the left kidney besides the normal renal artery in the same case. The upper polar artery arose just at the beginning of left renal artery and the lower one arose directly from the lateral wall of abdominal aorta. Due to the surgical and radiological significance of the variations they presented, we compared them with the other studies on this subject.

Aortic arch anomalies occur due to disorders of the development of primitive double aortic arch system. In this study a patent ductus arteriosus, which had the appearance of a muscular type artery, was observed in addition to an enlarged right pulmonary artery with a diameter of 2.4 cm, causing thickening to right ventricular wall. A left common carotid artery arising from the brachiocephalic trunk was also observed. Such a complicated variation is extremely rare.

Introduction: The zygoma may sometimes be divided into two parts by either a horizontal or a vertical suture. Such a bipartite bone has been given the name of os japonicum as it has been mostly observed in Japanese., Material: In this study 1266 zygomatic bones in 633 Anatolian dry skulls and 1348 zygomatic bones in 674 plain cranium radiographs of adult patients have been examined., Results: Os japonicum was present in 2.2% of female and 1.7% of male subjects. All of the 24 multipartite bones observed in the study were bipartite except one. In addition, of 690 female zygomatic bones examined radiologically 15 (2.2%), and 658 male bones 12 (1.8%) were bipartite or tripartite, a total of 674 plain cranium radiographs., Conclusion: The results were compared with those of other populations. As a result evaluation of both dry skulls and plain radiographs as a single sample, our results were again closely similar to Main Island Japan and other East Asia groups.

During dissection of the submental region, the anterior bellies of the right and left digastric muscles were found to have two separate portions, inserting into different locations in the submental region. The lateral portions of the anterior bellies of the digastric muscles originated from the digastric fossa and inserted into the hyoid bone. The medial parts of the anterior bellies of the right and left digastric muscles ran medially and inserted into the mylohyoid raphe on both sides, forming accessory digastric muscles. This anatomic abnormality of the muscle could be significant in surgical procedures involving the submental region.

Bilateral insertion abnormality of pectoralis minimus (sterno-costo-coracoidian muscle) muscle was examined. The variant muscle was lying under the pectoralis major muscle and was medial to the pectoralis minor muscle. This muscle started from the first costal cartilage to the manubrium sterni and ended in the upper surface of the shoulder joint on the right side. On the opposite side, it took origin from the second costal cartilage to the manubrium sterni and the second costochondral joint, afterwards became a tendinous structure and divided into two on the coracoid process. The thicker part ended on the upper surface of the articular capsule of the shoulder joint, the thinner part inserted on the lateral third of inferior part of clavicle and fascia of subclavius muscle.

Mastoid foramen and some superficial bony canal on the outer surface of the mastoid region are of importance not only as an epigenetic variation but because of the vessels passing through it as well. On the other hand such a canal structure has not been described in classical anatomy textbooks. In this study, the presence, localization and number of both mastoid foramen and superficial bony canal and their relations with each other were studied in 358 male, 228 female, a total of 586 dry Anatolian skulls. The mastoid foramen was absent in 21.5% of the skulls. In its presence it was mostly seen on temporal bone. A superficial bony canal was observed in 45% of the skulls. Some correlations were also observed between the above mentioned structures.

At the lower border of superior orbital fissure, at the junction of broad medial and narrow lateral portions of the greater wing of sphenoid bone, a bony projection (lateral rectus spine) occurs onto which the lateral rectus muscle and common tendinous ring attach. Such a bony projection has a special clinical significance not only because of its relationship with the contents of superior orbital fissure, but also because it is an attachment point for dura mater. In this study 286 males and 181 females, a total of 467 Anatolian dry skulls in which all the orbits were intact were examined. The bony projections mentioned above were classified according to their shapes. The ones most observed were the tubercle and spine forms which were 30.62% and 23.23% respectively. Of the 467 dry skulls 156 (16.70%) had no bony projection on the lower border of superior orbital fissure.

Since it covers the lateral wall of the mastoid air system, the suprameatal triangle is of importance to otologic surgeons during mastoidectomy. Because of this clinical importance, topographic anatomy of the suprameatal spine and depression was studied on Anatolian skulls. In all, 363 male and 231 female skulls were studied. The most prevalent type of suprameatal spine resembled a crest and was found in both sexes on the right (77.6%) and left (80%) sides. The absence of a suprameatal depression was significantly higher in females (right 9.1%; left 8.7%) than in males (right 1.7%; left 2.5%). Suprameatal depressions were mostly shallow in female subjects, but were mostly observed in males to be at a medium depth or deep.

In this study, the relationship, between Foot Length, Toe Lengths, Ankle Circumference and Calf Circumference of the students aged 17-25 was examined. When looked at the correlation coefficients, a significant relationship between Foot Length, Ankle Circumference, Calf Circumference and T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 (Toe Lengths) was discovered (p < 0.05). However, from the statistical point of view the relationship between only Foot Length and Ankle Circumference in the Males was discovered to be bigger than the Females (p < 0.05). Whereas, the other measurement in both Males and Females were relatively close to each other. During the study it was discovered that while the relationship between Ankle Circumference and Calf Circumference in both sexes was statistically significant (p < 0.05), the relationship between Ankle Circumference and T1, T2, T3, T4 was also statistically significant, but this relationship in Males were bigger than that of Females (p < 0.05). When the regression analyse was carried out, it was observed that there was a linear relationship between Foot Length and T1-T5. This indicated that Turkish people has bigger Ankle & Calf Circumferences and Foot Length than Japanese people.

In this study the relationship between foot length, foot breadth, ball girth or foot circumference, height and weight of Turkish students aged between 17 and 25 was examined. It was noted that in both sexes the correlation between foot length and height was more significant than the correlation between foot length and weight. When the percentage ratio of foot breadth and ball girth to foot length is calculated in both sexes, the percentage ratio in students with longer feet turned out to be smaller. However, it was found that foot breadth and ball girth of the male students in the same foot length category were greater than in the female students. The comparison of right foot length and ball girth in the same foot length category in Turkish, French and Japanese indicated that there was a similarity between Turkish and French with regard to foot breadth. The ball girth of the individuals from these three different populations were quite different from each other. It was observed that the average foot length of the Turkish was larger than that of both French and Japanese. The following conclusions can be drawn from this study: 1. Foot breath, ball girth and foot length can be regarded as three separate elements. 2. These three elements are to be precisely known for the optimal manufacturing of shoe lasts. 3. Apart from the above mentioned three elements, both individual and racial differences must also be considered concerning an optimal manufacturing of shoe lasts.

Since widespread applications of microsurgery are being employed for aneurysms, clival tumors, etc., precise knowledge of the skull base measurements has become vital, and a study of 307 adult skulls--130 female and 177 male--has been undertaken. Measurements were made between the landmarks chosen in accordance with the study of Lang in 1983 and our average values were similar to his series, being closer to his female data. There was no significant difference between the right and left sides of the skull.

An abnormally superficial course of the ulnar a. in the arm and forearm has long received the attention of anatomists and surgeons. In this study, such a case is reported and its importance from the viewpoint of reconstructive surgery stressed. The most striking findings were the origin of the superficial ulnar a. from the axillary a. and of the common interosseous a. from the radial a.

Detailed knowledge of the anatomy and anomalies of renal veins is necessary for retroperitoneal surgery and venographic procedures. According to Thomas (1970, Arch. Surg. 100: 738-740), the anomalies of renal veins are more frequent than estimated. The number of surgical procedures and radiologic examinations related to the retroperitoneum are increasing, and therefore pathologic conditions of the retroperitoneal area have been discussed more frequently. We report on a retroaortic left renal vein joining the left common iliac vein, discuss the embryology and clinical importance of renal vein anomalies, and give an overview on the relevant literature.

A prospective study was performed on 72 cases of tuberculous meningitis studying various treatments. 37 patients were treated with a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and streptomycin for 2 months, followed by a combination of isoniazid and rifampicin for 6 months. 35 patients were treated with various combinations of antituberculous drugs for 12-16 months. Disappearance of symptoms took (mean) 17 days. Mean duration of therapy for the hospitalized patients was 36 +/- 4 days. Seven (9.7%) patients died, 5 in the short-course therapy group and 2 in the long-course therapy group. Sequelae persisted in 18 (31%) cases, 8 of which cases were in the short-course therapy group and 10 in the long-course therapy group. No relapse was observed in either of the groups.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the cause of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis. Water-borne epidemics have been reported in many developing countries primarily affecting young and middle-aged adults. To determine the role of HEV in acute sporadic NANB hepatitis, we have studied the profiles of anti-HEV IgG in the sera of patients previously diagnosed for NANB hepatitis. We tested the sera of 53 patients with acute NANB hepatitis and 100 healthy people as a control group for anti-HEV IgG. Thirty-nine of the 53 patients (73.3%) and none of the control group were positive for HEV infection, according to results shown by ELISA. This result suggests that HEV is a common cause of acute sporadic NANB hepatitis in Turkey. Further studies are needed in the other regions to determine the true prevalence of HEV infection in Turkey.

In 14 normal male adults and 97 male patients having impotence alone or together with systematic and/or neuro-psychiatric symptoms and signs, the somatosensory cerebral-evoked potentials were obtained by glans penis stimulation (penile SEP); by peroneal nerve stimulation (peroneal SEP) and by electrically-induced bulbocavernous (BC) reflex. In normal subjects, the configurations of both SEPs were basically similar, except that the onset of latency was 10-15 msec longer and the amplitude in the P1-N1 component was higher in penile SEP. BC-reflex latency was abnormally prolonged, especially in diabetic impotence and in patients with cauda/conus lesions, while the abnormalities on the penile and peroneal SEP were more frequent in patients with spinal cord injuries. MS and parkinsonism. In impotent patients with epilepsy, chronic prostatis and psychogenic problems, all the tests were generally normal.