[Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare and high mortality condition. Most commonly it is spreading in the extremi­ties, abdominal wall soft tissues and perineal region, but occurs rarely in the retroperitoneal space too. Primary treatment is debridement with administered antibiotics, supported by negative pressure wound care. The present case report concerns a successful treatment of an extensive necrotizing fasciitis spreading from the hip region and ending up in a retroperitoneal abscess. A gradually increasing, painful, ulcerated swelling developed in the patient’s right hip region. On the first examination, elevated laboratory markers of inflammation were identified while the necrotizing lesion raised concerns of sarcomatic background. Initially, we started antibiotics and took tissue samples. The prompt CT scan confirmed a large abscess complex involving also the retroperitoneal space. The surgical exploration verified a typical necrotizing fasciitis and after removing debridement negative pressure wound care was started. After 14 days of this treatment the patient recovered successfully. Negative pressure wound therapy is pivotal in the treatment of necrotizing fasciitis. The number of wound dressings and of medical staff – patient contacts can be significantly reduced by this me­thod. It has a major advantage in the COVID-19 pandemic, since minimalizing close contacts is of vital importance in controlling the spread of the virus.]

Objectives - We aimed to evaluate nerve conduction studies and gastrocnemius H reflex responses in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and compared to the healthy adult subjects. Materials and methods - Twenty-six RA patients and twenty-two healthy adult subjects were included in the study. The nerve conduction study (NCS) findings and bilateral gastrocnemius H reflex responses were evaluated in all the groups. Age, gender, subcutaneous nodules, joint deformities, laboratory parameters, duration of disease, anti-rheumatic drug and steroid usage were recorded. Activity of disease was assessed using a 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28).The functional status was measured using the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), pain intensity measured using a visual analog scale (VAS). Results - The rate of electroneuromyographic (ENMG) abnormalities was 73% in RA patients. The most common diagnosis was carpal tunnel syndrome (61.4%). There were no significant correlations between ENMG findings and clinical and laboratory features evaluated. Right H reflex latencies were statistically longer in RA patients (p=0.03). According to calculated cut-off levels, there were more subjects with longer H reflex latencies in RA patients. Conclusions - In this study, entrapment neuropathies were found common as independent identity from duration and severity of disease in RA patients. For H reflex latencies, cut-off values were longer in RA patients. It may provide information about the early neuropathic involvement of long peripheral nerves in RA patients. But this findings are needed to be supported by larger population study.

[Infectious diseases and various infections are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing as well as in industrialised countries. Despite the advances in the past decades in our understanding of microbes, efficient treatment of diseases and preventive approaches, more than 13 million people die every year due to infectious diseases. In the past two decades, more and more new pathogens and infections diseases have been emerging and old diseases that were almost forgotten have re-emerged. There are many new diseases for which we do not have or have hardly any efficient antimicrobial drugs and no efficient vaccines. Despite an increasing frequency of multi- and panresistant microbes, the development of new antibiotics to be used against these infections is unlikely to occur in the near future. The big pharmaceutical companies have stopped the research of antibiotics. In this situation, the only option we have is to use antibiotics rationally and to take prevention and control of infections seriously, both in the outpatient system and in hospitals. Preserving the effectiveness of currently used antibiotics is in everyone’s interest and is everyone’s responsibility]

[Molecular genetics has become an indispensable diagnostic tool in a number of diseases. The most frequent thyroid tumours are associated with genetic alterations that might be used for diagnostic purpose in the future. Somatic mutations and rearrangements in BRAF, RAS family RET/PTC and PAX8/PPAR-gamma genes may occur in papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas. Other mutations of the RET gene can be found in medullary carcinomas (in sporadic as well as hereditary types), whereas mutations of the genes TP53, RAS, and BRAF are associated with poorly differentiated and anaplastic carcinomas. At present, the most reliable diagnostic tool for the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules is fine-needle aspiration cytology. However, the existing malignancy cannot be unequivocally proven in up to 10-40% of all samples. On the basis of previous results, genetic examination of fine needle aspiration samples from thyroid nodules can contribute to a more precise diagnosis and the timely removal of potentially malignant nodules.]