TEHRAN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL JOURNAL (TUMJ)
Year:2023 | Volume:81 | Issue:5|Papers Count:11

2Congenital cataract refers to the presence of any opacity in the lens at birth or during early childhood. Cataracts in children can manifest as unilateral or bilateral, congenital or acquired, with specific inheritance patterns or occurring sporadically. Additionally, the condition can be stable or progressive. Congenital cataracts can be associated with certain systemic diseases, or they may occur in the eye of an otherwise healthy child in isolation. Congenital cataract is one of the main causes of blindness in childhood. According to the report of the World Health Organization in 2001, congenital cataract is responsible for about 5 to 20 percent of cases of childhood blindness in the world based on different geographical regions. Untreated cataract in children leads to a tremendous social, economic and emotional burden for the child, family and society. Common complaints associated with congenital cataracts often include leukocoria (white pupil), reduced vision, a child's inability to track objects up close, light sensitivity leading to eye closure, squinting, the presence of either small eyes (microphthalmos) or large eyes (buphthalmos), strabismus (eye deviation), and abnormal eye movements such as nystagmus. Childhood cataract-related blindness can be cured with early detection and appropriate management. Managing pediatric cataracts is a challenge. Increased intraoperative complications compared to adults, tendency to increase postoperative inflammation, associated with complications such as aphakic glaucoma and persistent fetal vasculature, change in refractive status of the eye, and tendency to develop amblyopia, all complicate the achievement of good vision. Congenital cataract has a good prognosis if it is diagnosed early and surgery is performed before 6 weeks. Factors that may adversely affect the outcome, include the presence of unilateral cataract, presence of nystagmus, strabismus, or any ocular defect such as microphthalmos and PFV. Pediatric cataract surgery has evolved over the years, and with improved knowledge about myopic shift and axial growth, outcomes for these patients have become more predictable. Optimal results depend not only on effective surgery, but also on careful postoperative care and visual rehabilitation. Hence, it is the combined effort of parents, surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians and optometrists that can make the difference.

2Background: The use of artificial intelligence algorithms to help with accurate diagnosis in medical images is one of the most important applications of this technology in the field of medical imaging. In this research, the possibility of replacing simple chest radiography instead of CT scan using machine learning models to detect pneumothorax was investigated in cases where CT is usually requested. Methods: This study is analytical and was conducted from November 2022 to May 2023 at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The data used in this research was extracted from the files of 350 patients suspected of pneumothorax. The collected images were pre-processed in MATLAB software. Then, three machine learning algorithms, including Logistic elastic net regression (LENR), Logistic lasso regression (LLR) and Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost) were used. To evaluate the performance of these models, the criteria of precision, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), F1 score, and misclassification were used. Results: In the AdaBoost model, the accuracy value in radiographic and CT images was calculated as 98.89% and 98.63%, respectively, and the precision value was calculated as 99.17% and 98.27%, respectively. In radiographic images, the AUC value for AdaBoost model was calculated as 100% and in CT scan images as 96.96%. The F1 score for the same model in radiographic was 99% and in CT images was 98.68%. The specificity value for the AdaBoost model was calculated as 99.45% in radiographic images and 94.67% in CT scan images. In the LLR model, the AUC value for radiographic and CT scan images was 99.87% and 99.02%, respectively. Conclusion: According to the criteria evaluated in the present study, two LLR and AdaBoost models have similar performance in radiographic and CT images in terms of pneumothorax detection ability, so that this complication can also be diagnosed with high precision level using machine learning techniques on the radiographic images and thus receiving higher levels of radiation doses due to CT scan can be avoided in these patients.

2Background: 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. 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.

2Background: 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). 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

2Background: The aim of the present study is to determine the accuracy of ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes compared to postoperative pathology samples of patients with papillary thyroid cancer. Methods: This study was carried out using a descriptive and analytical epidemiological method on 103 known patients with papillary thyroid cancer who referred to Imam and Golestan hospitals in Ahvaz for neck ultrasound from September 2021 to August 2022. A total of 103 patients (including 94 women (91.3%) and 9 men (8.7%)) with papillary thyroid cancer with an average age of (39.8±11.9) were included in the study. The average tumor size in these patients was estimated to be (16.8±10mm). The ultrasound results of these patients before surgery were compared with the pathology results of these patients after surgery. Results: According to the obtained results, metastatic involvement of cervical lymph nodes was diagnosed in 36.6% of patients (38 people). Of these, 30.7% of patients (32 people) were real positive. The results of ultrasound before surgery were shown as false positive in 9.5% of patients (6 people). Lymphatic metastasis was not seen in 58.4% of patients (60 people) before surgery, which was consistent with the pathology result after surgery (true negative). The positive predictive value of examining metastatic lymph nodes by ultrasound was estimated at 84.2% and the negative predictive value at 92.3%. The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound was 89%, the sensitivity rate was 86%, and the specificity rate was 90% with the area under the curve AUC=0.884 and P<0.001. Ultrasound accuracy is not affected by tumor size, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and metastasis location (P<0.05). In patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the tumor size increases significantly more than 10 mm. Conclusion: Ultrasound alone has an acceptable diagnostic accuracy in detecting metastatic lymph nodes caused by papillary thyroid cancer. However, the incidence of false negative error increases as the tumor size decreases.

2Background: Coronary angiography is an elective method to confirm or rule out coronary artery disease and to decide on the treatment plan but it is an invasive method and it has some complications. The most important and common complication was hematoma. It could be the cause of mortality and morbidity. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the time of hematoma occurrence after angioplasty and investigating the effect of various factors (for example age, sex, BMI, BP, hematocrit, anticoagulant agent, etc.) on the occurrence of hematoma. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study from March 2022 to March 2023 in Mazandaran heart center. The study population was patients who underwent angioplasty through the femoral artery. If the ACT is less than 150-180, sheet removal was done by applying pressure with the hand on the proximal puncture site for 15-20 minutes and ensuring sufficient hemostasis. Then, the ultrasound of the puncture site was performed before pulling the sheet/one hour and six hours after pulling the sheet, and after collecting the data, the data were analyzed to study the effect of BMI, BP, sex, hematocrit, hemoglobin, age, time of sheet removal, anticoagulant agent, etc. on prevalence of hematoma and it size. Results: 200 patients were examined, of which 44(22%) had hematoma. Women had hematoma more than men (P<0.05). BMI and blood pressure in patients with hematoma decreased and increased, respectively (P<0.05). Older age, female gender, lower hematocrit, and longer duration of sheet retention were effective factors in increasing hematoma size (P<0.05). In the logistic regression model, with increasing BMI, the chance of hematoma occurrence decreased (P=0.029, OR=0.831). Conclusion: Controlling blood pressure and preventing of decreasing the hematocrit, reduces the incidence of hematoma in patients after angiography. Also, preventing hematocrit drop and removal of sheet at the appropriate time, can prevent of increasing in size of hematoma. There is some difference between nursing report and sonography finding. Nursing report overestimated the hematoma size.

2Background: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation is a promising therapy for kidney repair. This study compared the regenerative effects of feline MSCs (fMSCs) and telmisartan, a renin-angiotensin blocker (RAB), in a feline model of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: The fMSCs were obtained from 35 Persian cats with CKD and characterized by CD44, CD90, and CD105 markers by using real-time RT-qPCR. The cats were randomly allocated to four groups, fMSCs injection (first group), telmisartan administration (second group), no treatment (third group), and healthy controls (fourth group). The study was conducted in Kerman province from December 2018 to December 2019. The factors that may affect the risk of CKD, such as age, weight, and history of kidney diseases, were considered as independent variables. The presence or absence of CKD was the dependent variable. The cats were followed up for 120 days and evaluated by physical examination, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr), serum urea, alanine transaminase (ALT), urine specific gravity (SG), and kidney histopathology. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 20) with two-way ANOVA and Tukey test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The fMSCs group showed significant improvement in GFR, BUN, SCr, serum urea, SG, and kidney histology compared to the other groups. The fMSCs group also showed increased expression of CD44, CD90, and CD105 genes in the kidney tissue, indicating enhanced stem cell activity. The telmisartan group showed modest improvement in blood pressure and proteinuria, but no significant effect on other parameters. fMSCs transplantation can restore the kidney function and structure in cats with CKD by modulating the apoptosis and proliferation of renal cells. The telmisartan  patients benefited from the anti-hypertensive and anti-proteinuric effects of the drug, but not from its anti-fibrotic or anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusion: fMSCs transplantation was more effective than telmisartan in improving kidney function and reducing kidney damage in cats with CKD. fMSCs may be a potential therapeutic option for CKD patients.

2Background: Several typical and atypical findings have been observed in Covid-19 high-resolution computer tomography (HRCT). To our knowledge, there is no study investigating the relationship between the presence of nodules in Covid-19 patients and the patient's condition. Therefore, the present study assessed the frequency of pulmonary nodules in Covid-19 patients according to their condition. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the medical images of the patients referred to three university-affiliated centers (Nemazi, Ali Asghar and Shahid Faghihi Hospital) to perform Covid-19 HRCT from April to September 2020. The centers have been named H1, H2, and H3. Patients who were referred to these centers had good, poor, and fair conditions, respectively. The history of patients was assessed carefully. Patients' demographic information, nodule shape, number, size, location, presence of cavitation, and GGO around the nodule were assessed and recorded. Results: Overall, 20576 patients (mean age=46.75±16.64 years old) were included in the study. Only 2.1% of cases had solid nodules. Most of them (96.76%) were accompanied by a GGO (halo sign), and only 10.42% were associated with a cavity. The good condition, patients showed significantly more solid nodules (3.46%) than others. In size of the nodules in good-condition patients (1.8 cm) is significantly larger than in fair-condition (1.22 cm) or poor condition patients (1.15 cm). 79.86%, 12.5%, and 7.64% of nodules were multiple, dual/triple, and single, respectively. Conclusion: The frequency of nodules in the HRCTs of good-condition patients was significantly higher than in fair- or poor-conditionpatients; they also had more multiple and larger-sized nodules. The Pearson-coefficient test also revealed a small negative correlation between the presence of nodules and the patient's condition. It seems the presence of nodules indicates higher immunity to viral infections. In the follow-up, it was revealed that people who had nodules were not hospitalized in the ICU. Further study is needed to prove this point.

2Background: Osteoid osteoma is a painful benign osteoblastic lesion occurring mainly in the long bones. On the one hand, some studies have declared that post-treatment CT cannot determine the success or failure of radiofrequency ablation, on the other hand, some studies have stated that imaging follow-up can be helpful or even mandatory in some cases. The present study aims to evaluate Osteoid Osteoma's imaging features before or after radiofrequency ablation with or without curettage and during the follow-up period. Methods: In this retrospective and cross-sectional study, we reviewed twenty seven Osteoid Osteoma patients with radiofrequency ablation who were assessed via drilling with or without curettage from March 2015 to December 2019 at Nemazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Results: Radiofrequency ablation with drilling was used in 22(81.5%) patients, and for the rest 5(18.5%), radiofrequency ablation with curettage and drilling was performed as a treatment procedure. The overall clinical success rate was 92.6%(25/27), with a low complication rate (7.4%). The mean diameter of nidus in pre/pos treatment was 3.46±2.02 and 2.22±1.75 mm, respectively. Femur 12(44.4%) was the most common bone in the patients. Significant differences between pre/post treatment follow up examinations in nidus size (P=0.03), nidus diameter (P=0.02), bone and calcification size (P=0.005) were detected. Additionally, it depicts that the mean values of tumor size and cortical thickening decreased after treatment. Conclusion: It is noteworthy that the present study had some limitations, including the small sample size and the relatively short follow-up period. There is no significant difference between radiofrequency ablation after drilling and curettage in treating Osteoid Osteoma. It is concluded that although there was a significant difference in pre/post-treatment imaging, there is no need for continuous imaging follow-up in treated patients without clinical complications such as pain to mitigate radiation dose risks and healthcare expenses.

2Background: Preventing the cancellation of surgeries is an important and devastating challenge in operating room management. Cancellation of pre-scheduled surgeries at the last moment in the operation room leads to increased length of stay, patient dissatisfaction, human resource consumption and financial burden for patients and the health care system. In this study, we have investigated the effect of recording the causes of surgery cancellations in the operation room on the incidence of surgery cancellations in patients who have been candidates for non-emergent surgeries. Methods: A total of 545 surgeries which had been canceled in different types of surgery between March 2014 and March 2015 were recorded according to the reasons for cancellation in predetermined forms and the information was analyzed. The most common reasons for cancellation included changing the plan of treatment from surgery, a high-risk comorbidity with a high probability of mortality, patient’s refusal from surgery, an unanticipated duration of previous surgery longer than anticipated, the unavailability of an ICU bed in the hospital, requested laboratory data not being ready, failing to prepare requested packed RBCs and other hospital or patient-related problems. Results: The percentage of surgery cancellations in most groups including orthopedics, urology, cardiac surgery, general surgery, gynecology and maxillofacial surgery, decreased during the course of this study. According to our findings the most relevant cause of non-emergent surgery cancellation was the unpredictable increased duration of previous surgery. The maxillofacial surgery group reached the highest surgery cancellation reduction rate and the cardiovascular surgery group experienced the lowest cancellation reduction rate. Also, the percentage of surgery cancellations in the field of neurosurgery increased during the study period. Conclusion: Recording the reasons mentioned by the surgical team as the reason for canceling surgeries and reducing the rate of their occurrence during the study and providing appropriate feedback and dialogue in this case had a positive effect on reducing the rate of cancellation of the surgeries and reducing the mentioned reasons.

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