INTRODUCTION: This study aims to compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose to oral ferrous sulfate in pregnant women (gestation weeks 14–21) with antepartum anemia.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary hospital comparing intravenous 1000 mg ferric carboxymaltose treatment during pregnancy (120 patients) to oral ferrous sulfate (100 mg) 2x1 treatment until delivery (120 patients) for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy. The patients’ responses to treatment were assessed by measuring hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ferritin levels on the 60th day, 120th day, and postpartum 1st day following the initiation of the therapeutic intervention.
RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of gestational age, parity, delivery patterns, or antepartum hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. On the 60th and postpartum first day of treatment, the IV ferric carboxymaltose group had significantly higher hemoglobin and hematocrit levels than the oral ferrous sulfate group (p<0.05). Ferritin levels improved rapidly on the 60th day of IV treatment. However, there was no significant difference in hemoglobin, hematocrit, or ferritin levels on the 120th day.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose proves to be safe and well-tolerated in the management of antepartum iron deficiency anemia. While short-term intravenous iron therapy leads to a quicker elevation of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ferritin levels in women with antepartum anemia compared to oral ferrous sulfate therapy, over the long term, the levels tend to equalize.

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases on a global scale and the second most common neurological disease during pregnancy. The aim of our study is to evaluate the pregnancy outcomes and complications of pregnant women diagnosed with epilepsy followed in our clinic.
METHODS: Between March 2018–2022, 147 pregnant women who were followed up in our hospital and diagnosed with epilepsy were examined. Demographic and clinical findings of all patients were compared retrospectively according to drug use history and seizure frequency during pregnancy.
RESULTS: There was no significant difference in mean birth weight and mean week of birth according to drug use groups (p=0.385, p=0.115, respectively). There was no significant difference between the drug use groups in terms of the presence of spontaneous abortion and history of preterm birth (p=0.360, p=0.210, respectively). No significant relationship was found between seizure frequency and seizure type (p=0.245). No significant relationship was found between seizure frequency and antiepileptic drug use (p=0.640). The average age of pregnant women with a history of polytherapy was 32.6±8.4 and was found to be significantly higher than the other groups (p=0.042). When the groups were evaluated according to drug use history, it was seen that the duration of epilepsy was significantly longer in the polytherapy group (p=0.044). When the groups were evaluated according to drug use history, it was seen that the cesarean section rate was significantly higher in the polytherapy group (p=0.038).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Today, we think that pregnant women diagnosed with epilepsy have a high probability of giving birth to a healthy baby, spontaneous miscarriages are not more common than expected, and there is no significant difference between birth weight or week of birth and the treatment applied during pregnancy. The study also shows that with an appropriate approach and follow-up, it is possible to achieve positive results similar to those in the general population.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study is to evaluate the lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI) status using preoperative fluorine-18 (18F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) imaging.
METHODS: This retrospective study was based on a review of the records of patients who were diagnosed with endometrial cancer (EC) and underwent hysterectomy between January 2014 and 2021. The thickness, volume of the uterine lesion, and its standardized uptake value (SUVmax) as obtained using 18F-FDG PET-CT and pathology results of hysterectomy specimens were recorded.
RESULTS: All 151 patients included in the study had endometrioid-type cancer. Recurrence was observed in 22 (14.6%) patients. To predict LVSI, deep myometrial invasion, cervical involvement, and lymph node (LN) metastasis preoperatively, ideal SUVmax values in PET-CT were analyzed according to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Deep myometrial invasion, cervical involvement, LVSI, and LN metastasis, which are poor prognostic factors, were found to be significantly more common in high SUVmax values (≥14.65). The 5-year disease-free survival was 92.0% at low SUVmax and 71.1% in patients with high SUVmax values (p=0.004). Patients with low SUVmax had a higher mean 5-year overall survival than patients with high SUVmax (97.3% & 71.8%; p<0.001).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In order to predict the presence of LVSI in the preoperative period, the SUVmax value of the uterine lesion on PET-CT can be used. It may be helpful in planning the extent of the surgery and the level of LN dissection.

INTRODUCTION: Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the leading major causes of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Improving the outcome for preeclampsia necessitates early prediction of the disease to identify women at high risk. Evaluation of hematological parameters might provide prognostic and diagnostic clues to diseases. The purpose of this study is to investigate hematological changes in early pregnancy using complete blood counts in order to determine whether these measurements may provide useful information for the early diagnosis of preeclampsia.
METHODS: This retrospective observational case–control study was conducted at a tertiary referral center between August 2020 and February 2022. Medical records of women with preeclampsia and healthy controls were compared regarding clinical characteristics and first-trimester hematological parameters. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to identify the optimal white blood cells level predicting preeclampsia.
RESULTS: The white blood cells (WBC) values were significantly higher in the preeclampsia group compared with the control group (p<0.049). There were no significant differences in other hematological parameters between the groups. For WBC, the values of area under the curve were 0.605, and the p-value for this parameter statistically differed (p=0.049).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study showed that WBC may be a useful marker in the prediction of preeclampsia in early pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to contribute to the literature by retrospectively analyzing the indications, results, culture successes, and pregnancy results of patients who underwent amniocentesis in our clinic between 2021–2022.
METHODS: Our study includes the results of 132 patients who underwent amniocentesis. Demographic characteristics, weeks of gestation, amniocentesis indications, results, complications, and pregnancy outcomes of the patients were evaluated.
RESULTS: In our study, the most common indication for amniocentesis was patients with fetal anomaly detected in ultrasonography (US) with a rate of 38.6% (51/132). The culture success rate was 98.5%. Chromosome anomaly was detected as 18.2% (24/132) in the culture results. Chromosome anomaly was found in 15.7% (8/51) of patients with a fetal anomaly in US. The most common numerical anomalies in culture were Trisomy 21 and Trisomy 18. Among the chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) results, 4.9% (2/41) were found to be pathogenic and 4.9% (2/41) were classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). The pregnancy of 13 patients with chromosomal anomalies was terminated, and three had stillbirths. No maternal or fetal complications related to amniocentesis were observed.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Amniocentesis is a reliable and successful prenatal diagnosis test. The results of our study can provide a database for the literature to provide appropriate genetic counseling.

INTRODUCTION: Placenta previa and the placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) represent critical conditions in pregnant women, carrying a life-threatening risk of bleeding and adverse obstetric outcomes. Timely diagnosis and intervention play a pivotal role in mitigating the potential risks associated with these conditions. Our study seeks to evaluate the significance of serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) as early biomarkers for predicting placenta accreta spectrum disorders and placenta previa. This research is essential as further investigations are warranted to enhance our understanding of this significant medical condition
METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on 254 pregnant individuals with placenta previa who underwent cesarean section delivery at our hospital. Excluding 187 pregnant women who had placenta previa with or without placenta accreta spectrum but lacked PAPP-A and βhCG test results in the second trimester, the study focused on 30 cases of placenta previa with PAS, 37 cases of placenta previa without PAS, and 30 cases of body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy pregnant controls with available second-trimester test results. The comparison of PAPP-A and βhCG MoMs (Multiples of the Median) between these groups was conducted to assess significant differences.
RESULTS: The ages of the individuals ranged from 22 to 41 years, with a mean of 32.29±4.14 years. BMI measurements ranged from 18 to 40 kg/m², with a mean of 26.22±4.48 kg/m². BMI, PAPP-A, and βhCG measurements did not show statistically significant differences between the groups (p>0.05). The mean age of the PAS group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our study did not find significant predictive value for PAPP-A and βhCG in placenta accreta spectrum. However, conflicting results from previous studies suggest the need for further research. Larger prospective studies are necessary to clarify the role of these biomarkers.

INTRODUCTION: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent and inflammatory chronic skin disease, particularly common in children. In the context of our study, the aim is to determine the frequency of respiratory allergen sensitivity in children diagnosed with atopic dermatitis.
METHODS: In this descriptive study, conducted between October 2022 and October 2023, the medical records of patients aged 0-18 with atopic dermatitis who presented to the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Clinic were retrospectively reviewed. The analysis included age, gender, eosinophil counts, and total IgE levels. The patients’ IgE and eosinophil values were measured during their initial visit when they had complaints.
RESULTS: When examining the food and inhalant allergen sensitivity of patients, the most common sensitivity was to house dust mites (30.6%), followed by egg allergen sensitivity (28.6%). Eosinophil percentage and total IgE levels were also statistically significantly higher in those with inhalant allergen sensitivity compared to those without (p=0.003 and p<0.001, respectively). The cut-off point for total IgE in predicting inhalant allergen sensitivity was determined to be 99.5. Sensitivity and specificity values for the cut-off point of total IgE were 71.6% and 70.9%, respectively.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this article assessed the frequency of inhalation allergen sensitivity in atopic dermatitis. Sensitivity to allergens such as house dust mites, eggs, and milk was determined to be increased, emphasizing the potential critical role of indoor environments in the pathogenesis of AD. Additionally, it was found that eosinophil percentage and total IgE values were significantly higher in those with inhalation allergen sensitivity. These findings are important for understanding the clinical characteristics of patients and developing effective treatment strategies.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to assess the vitamin D levels in patients who visited the pediatric outpatient clinic for various reasons.
METHODS: The study was conducted retrospectively. Demographic information, vitamin D levels, place of residence (rural or urban), and vitamin D levels of 6939 patients, all obtained from the medical records of children aged 0–18 years who visited the outpatient pediatric clinic at Adıyaman Training and Research Hospital for any reason between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, were meticulously recorded in an Excel file.
RESULTS: Of the patients, 44.2% had adequate vitamin D levels. When examining these levels, it was observed that boys had a significantly higher proportion of sufficient vitamin D levels than girls (p<0.001). A significant difference in vitamin D levels was also observed among the 0–5 years, 6–11 years, and 12–18 years (p<0.001). Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency was notably more prevalent in children residing in urban areas than in rural areas.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: It has been observed that vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency has a significant rate in childhood. To protect children against vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency, adopting a protective lifestyle that includes increasing sun exposure, gradually increasing vitamin D supplementation as they age, and periodically checking their vitamin D levels can be beneficial in preventing complications.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of allergic diseases is increasing worldwide. Phototherapy has been identified as a potential risk factor associated with childhood allergic diseases, including allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and atopic dermatitis (AD). In this study, our aim is to assess the relationship between phototherapy and these common childhood allergic diseases.
METHODS: We analyzed 621 children between the ages of 3-17, including a patient group of 371 who received phototherapy during the neonatal period and a control group of 250 who did not receive phototherapy. The International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) survey was administered to all cases. For participants with allergic diseases, plasma eosinophil and total immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels were analyzed, and a skin prick test was conducted.
RESULTS: There was no statistically significant association between the patient and control groups in terms of the diagnosis of wheeze/asthma, AR, AD, and phototherapy treatment. The percentage of eosinophilia was significantly higher in the patient group (p=0.01). Cesarean section was more frequent in the control group (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: According to our study, there was no significant relationship between phototherapy treatment and the incidence of childhood asthma, AR, and AD.

INTRODUCTION: Acute bronchiolitis and/or pneumonia are generally referred to as lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). It was aimed to investigate the agents in LRTI, which is one of the most important causes of childhood deaths, by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method from the nasopharyngeal aspirate.
METHODS: In our study, chest radiographs, clinical, demographic, laboratory characteristics, and disease agents obtained by real-time PCR were examined in patients aged 1 month to 18 years who were hospitalized with a prediagnosis of LRTI in the pediatric service during the year 2019.
RESULTS: The patients’ mean age was 25.89±36.72 months, and 57.05% (n=279) of the study group were male. Patients are grouped monthly; of the study group, 69.3% were between the ages of one and 24 months, and 16.0% were between the ages of 24 and 60 months. In the study group, 38% (n=186) of 489 patients had a fever. In 93.9% of cases, a cough was present. Of the 489 patients in the study group, 175 (35.7%) had no detectable causative agent, while 314 (64.3%) had one or more. After analyzing individual factors, 28.34% of the study group had Rhinovirus as the causative agent.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The most frequent cause of LRTI was determined to be Rhinovirus in our investigation, in contrast to the general literature in our nation. Other data appear to be generally compatible with national and international literature.