Balkan Medical Journal最新文献

{"title":"Clinical Characteristics of Nail Unit Melanoma in Türkiye: The Experience of Two Tertiary Dermatology Centers.","authors":"Tuğba Atcı, Muhammed Burak Günay, Şirin Yaşar, Nesimi Büyükbabani, Pembegül Güneş, Şule Öztürk Sarı, Zuhal Kuş Silav, Can Baykal, Fatih Göktay","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-12-52","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-12-52","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The literature on the clinical presentations of nail unit melanoma (NUM) in different countries is limited.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To assess the specific clinical characteristics of NUM in Türkiye.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>A retrospective cross sectional study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients with NUM in two centers were retrospectively evaluated for their clinicopathological features, including the location, laterality, destruction of the nail plate, erosion or ulceration, presence of longitudinal melanonychia (LM), Hutchinson's sign (HS), and the absence of pigmentation and Breslow thickness. These variables were compared in terms of the main location of the NUMs (fingernail versus toenail).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 37 patients (54.1% female) of mean age 61.9 ± 14.8 years were enrolled. In most cases, NUMs were located in the fingernails (62.2%), with the most common location being the thumbnails (45.9%), followed by the big toenails (32.4%). Five cases had in situ melanoma presenting with LM. The mean Breslow thickness of invasive NUM lesions (n = 26) was 4.7 ± 4.1 mm (median: 3). Although all in situ NUMs were located on the hands, no statistically significant difference was noted in the Breslow thickness of invasive NUMs on the toenails and fingernails. NUMs were hypomelanotic/amelanotic in 10 (27%) patients. LM was clinically evident in 40.5% of the patients and was significantly more frequently observed on fingernails. The HS of the nail folds was noted in 40.5% of the patients, with the proximal (73.3%) and distal (73.3%) nail folds being most commonly involved. Total or partial destruction of the nail plate was recorded in 24.3% and 51.4% of the patients, respectively. Erosion and/or ulceration on the surface of the NUM was clinically present in most (75.7%) cases. Invasive NUMs associated with LM (n = 10) displayed partial destruction of the nail plate (n = 9), erosion and/or ulceration on the tumor surface (n = 7), and HS (n = 6).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The clinical characteristics of patients with NUM, such as more common localization on the hands, a high rate of preference for thumbnail and big toe, and the ratio of HS, were similar to the studies reported from diverse countries. Partial destruction of the nail plate is an important clinical feature of NUM. Furthermore, LM is more frequently observed in NUMs on the fingernails.</p>","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":"42 2","pages":"157-163"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881541/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Multidirectional Interrelationship: Iron Deficiency Anemia Begets Angular Cheilitis and Atrial Fibrillation, Atrial Fibrillation Begets Heart Failure and Heart Failure Begets Atrial Fibrillation and Anemia","authors":"Nicholas G Kounis, Virginia Mplani, Alexandr Ceasovschih","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-89","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-89","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":"172-173"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881548/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142794307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multimodality Imaging Assessment of a Multi-Organ Hydatid Cyst","authors":"Leizhi Ku, Xiaojing Ma","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-11-137","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-11-137","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":"164-165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881522/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142969493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying Paget’s Disease in the Elderly-an oft-missed Diagnosis","authors":"Arun Kumar, Ashish Verma, Upinder Kaur, Sankha Shubhra Chakrabarti","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-10-31","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-10-31","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":"166-167"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881542/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142794220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Guideline for the Use of Natriuretic Peptides in the Early Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure in Primary Care <i>(Joint Consensus Report by the Eurasian Society of Heart Failure and the Turkish Association of Family Medicine)</i>.","authors":"Ahmet Çelik, Güzin Zeren Öztürk, Yüksel Çavuşoğlu, Cüneyt Ardıç, Sanem Nalbantgil, Seçil Arıca, Ahmet Temizhan, Hakan Altay, Mehmet Birhan Yılmaz, Haluk Özsarı, Dilek Ural","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-12-110","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-12-110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and effective management at the primary care level are essential for improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden on the healthcare systems. The Eurasian Society of HF and the Turkish Association of Family Medicine developed a guideline that underscores the critical role of natriuretic peptides (NPs) in the early detection, diagnosis, and management of HF. NPs, particularly the N-terminal pro-B-type NP, are a reliable biomarker for identifying HF, guiding treatment decisions, and monitoring disease progression. This guideline emphasizes the importance of measuring the levels of these peptides in primary care so as to detect individuals at risk, confirm the diagnosis of HF in symptomatic patients, and evaluate the treatment response. The recommended thresholds for NP levels account for variations arising from factors such as age, gender, and the presence of other health conditions. B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP) levels ≥ 35 pg/ml or N-terminus-proBNP levels ≥ 125 pg/ml are used to confirm the likelihood of HF in symptomatic patients, enabling timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Incorporating NP testing into routine clinical practice enables timely referrals and ensures appropriate management at all stages of HF. Beyond diagnosis, the measurement of NPs provides valuable information about treatment effectiveness and prognosis, allowing clinicians to individualize the treatment. By integrating NP testing into primary care, healthcare providers can facilitate early detection, optimize treatment strategies, and improve the quality of life for patients with or at risk of HF. Thus, this guideline highlights the essential role of primary care physicians in addressing the growing challenges of HF through the effective and evidence-based use of NPs.</p>","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":"42 2","pages":"94-107"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881534/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances and the Future of Skull Base Surgery.","authors":"Alperen Vural, Marco Ferrari","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025.180225","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025.180225","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":"42 2","pages":"90-91"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881544/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Burden of Diseases Attributable to Low Physical Activity in the Middle East and North Africa: an Analysis Based on Global Burden of Disease Study.","authors":"Mohsen Farrokhpour, Bijan Forogh, Golsa Gholampour, Seyed Aria Nejadghaderi, Amirhossein Habibzadeh, Amin Nakhostin-Ansari, Homa Seyedmirzaei","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025-1-20","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025-1-20","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research on low physical activity (LPA) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains limited.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To assess the disease burden associated with LPA using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Longitudinal epidemiological study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>GBD 2021 data were used to extract information on the burden of eight LPA-related conditions-breast cancer, chronic kidney disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes mellitus (DM), ischemic heart disease, lower extremity peripheral arterial disease, stroke, and tuberculosis-analyzed by age group, sex, country within MENA, and year (1990-2021).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The age-standardized disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate for LPA-related diseases in MENA declined by 8.62%, from 431.84 per 100,000 people in 1990 to 394.64 per 100,000 in 2021. In 2021, Sudan (846.47 per 100,000), Iraq (630.29 per 100,000), and Afghanistan (626.88 per 100,000) recorded the highest age-standardized DALY rates. Across all age groups, females had higher DALY rates than males in both 1990 and 2021.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despite a recent decline, the MENA region continues to experience a greater LPA-attributable disease burden than the global average. The increasing contribution of DM and breast cancer highlights evolving trends, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions such as lifestyle promotion and improved access to health facilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":"42 2","pages":"121-129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881527/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Baricitinib for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata","authors":"Güllü Gencebay, Anıl Gülsel Bahalı, Didem Dizman, Melisa Özay, Özlem Su Küçük","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-9-31","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-9-31","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":"176-179"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881537/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142982522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective Management of Buried Bumper Syndrome with the Balloon Dilation Pull Technique.","authors":"Sónia Barros, Margarida Portugal, Luís Miguel Relvas, Ana Margarida Vaz, Bruno Peixe","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-53","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-53","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143062888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Who Will Care for Our Children? Understanding the Lower Preference Rates for Pediatrics in Türkiye.","authors":"Kaan Can Demirbaş, Cem Çakmak, Seha Saygılı, Nur Canpolat, Özgür Kasapçopur","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-10-100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-10-100","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142943469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}