Aim: This study was designed to compare 25 G Sprotte, 25 and 29 G Quincke spinal needles; according to headache, back pain, paresthesia, ease of insertion, sense of spinal click and number of attemption in spinal anesthesia. Method: Patients were assigned to thirty individually three groups (Group I: 25 G Sprotte needle, and Group II: 25 G Quincke needle, and Groups III: 29 G Quincke needle). Patient groups did not differ demographically. Intrathecal puncture was achieved in all patients. Results: None of the patients experienced paresthesia during needle insertion .The incidence of PDPH (25 G Sprotte 3.3 %, and 25 Quincke 16.6 %, and 29 Quincke 3.3 %), and backache were similar in three groups. Both the Sprotte needle and the Quincke needles were judged as easy to use and both required the same number of attempts in order to locate cerebrospinal fluid (first attempt successful: 66.6% versus 50 %). The incidence of the spinal click at the dural puncture with the 25 G Sprotte was more frequent than with the 25-29 G Quincke needles (25 G Sprotte needle: 56 %, 25 Quincke needle 30 %, 29 Quincke needle: 36.6 %), and more significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that the use of the 25 G Sprotte spinal needle was associated with a higher rate of succesful idendification of the subarachnoid space at the first attempt, and it caused less PDPH when compared with the 25 and 29 G Quincke spinal needle, and especially more appropriate than 25 and 29 G Quincke spinal needles for using in young patients.

In this study, we investigated hematological values and ferritin levels by using database of “Some Important Health Standards and Disease Prevalences Among Adults in Van” study, performed in 27 living areas and healthy individuals were selected by systematic sampling technique. Blood was drawn for hemogram values from 642 healthy individuals and for ferritin levels from 310 individuals. Hemogram was studied within the same day and ferritin was studied after saving specimens. Mean age of the population was 43 ? 15 years and 38 ±14 years for men and women respectively (p=0.007). For men and women, mean value of hemoglobin was 15.3?1.7g/dl vs 13.4?1.7 g/dl (p=0.000), hematocrit was 46?5% vs %41?5 (p=0.000), erythrocyte was 5.3?0.7x1012/l vs 7.0?1.9x109/l (p=0.016), leukocyte was 7.4?2.2x109/l vs 7.0?1.9x109/l (p=0.016) and platelet was 197?75x109/l vs 221?75x109/l (p=0.000) respectively. Anemia frequency for men and women was 11.9% and 17.3% respectively (p=0.10). Mean values of ferritin for men and women were 169?21 ?g/l and 85?9 ?g/l respectively (p=0.001). Low ferritin serum concentration status in male and female population were 8.3% and 8.8%, respectively (p=0.79). Normal range for ferritin in Van area was found to be 106.5-232.5 ?g/l for men and 58-112 ?g/l?? for women, thus some local data was provided to literature. In conclusion, for Van region hematological parameters of healthy individuals were found to be similar to other regions of our country.

It has been known that free radicals and lipid peroxides play an important role in the pathogenesis of a lot of disease. In this study, it was investigated levels of serum glucose t.protein, trigliserid and MDA which is from products of lipid peroxidation in 21 patients who were diagnosed with cancer and not given chemotherapy and radiotherapy before treatment and after second chemotherapy cycles and compared to serum glucose t.protein, trigliserid, MDA levels of control group. The study included 21 individuals (10 men and 11 women) as patients and controls. Mean age (year) of patients was 52.61?15.68, and 47.00?4.37 in controls. Of the patients 39% had GIS tumors, 34% breast tumor, and 27% other tumors. In patient group, mean MDA levels were found to be 9.01?2.52 nmol/ml, and 8.90?2.74 nmol/ml in pretreatment and after two cycles chemotherapy, respectively. Mean MDA level of controls was 3.94?1.41 nmol/ml in patients. There was no significant difference between MDA levels of pretreatment and after two cycles chemotherapy (p>0.05). There was a significant difference between MDA levels of patient and control groups (p<0.001). This study demonstrated that in cancer patients, the levels of serum MDA were apparently higher than those of healthy individuals, however, there was no significant alteration in serum MDA level after two cycles chemotherapy.

Long acting corticosteroid triamsinolon asetonid (Kenakort-A) was used in 24 patients (14 males, 10 females) who underwent tonsillectomy to determine the effect of corticosteroid on decreasing pain following tonsillectomy. After the operation, while the drug was injected into the right tonsillar fossa, physicologic saline was injected into the left side and the last side was accepted as control. Post-operative pain severity was assessed according to the patients’ expressions and it was scored as no pain, mild, moderate, and severe pain on the first, 4th, 12th, 24th hour, 7th day and 10th day following operation. The pain severity was significantly decreased in the drug-injected side (right side) in the vast majority of the patients. This technique can be used in decreasing of pain following tonsillectomy in non-contraindicated cases because of easily applicability, low cost effectiveness and no complication.

Gangrene of lower extremities due to progressive vascular disease is 100 times frequently seen in diabetes patients than general population. Darkening of skin and ulceration in gangrene is frequently observed as seen in malignancies. This study presents a seventy-year-old patient whose left fourth toe has been amputated with"diabetic foot" diagnosis, but the mentioned case has been diagnosed as malignant melanoma after histopathological examination.

Bisphosphonates analogs of pyrophosphate, bind to bone at sites of active bone remodeling. In clinical settings of rapid bone turnover and/or excessive osteolytic activity, they have been shown to have beneficial clinical effects. These settings include Paget's disease of bone, osteoporosis from a variety of clinical causes, and malignant bone disease. Bisphosphonate inhibition of osteolysis in cancer has been shown to be effective therapy for malignancy-associated hypercalcemia and as adjunctive therapy for the delay or prevention of cancer-related skeletal morbidity, including bone pain, pathologic fractures, and need for radiation therapy. Animal models of bone metastasis prevention by bisphosphonate treatment have provided the preclinical background for the adjuvant use of bisphosphonates in primary cancers. The success of these clinical trials has provided strong impetus for new research on pathogenesis of bone metastases, as well as the development and testing of new and more potent bisphosphonates.