Hippokratia
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Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is an incurable joint disorder, representing a major public health issue. Among options for symptom control, viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid (HA) had established usefulness in pain and function improvement of the knee. However, it is not clear which form of HA yields better results. ⋯ Intra-articular injections using HMW or LMW HA can improve stiffness, joint function and pain in patients suffering from knee OA. However, no clear benefit seems to exist between the two preparations and neither can slow disease progression. Hippokratia 2016, 20(1): 26-31.
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Medical Fear Survey (MFS) is an instrument designed for measuring fear of medical and related treatments. ⋯ Serbian version of the 50-item MFS showed similar psychometric properties as the original English version of this scale, with the same factorial structure. It could be used for measurement of fear of medical and related treatments in Serbian socio-cultural milieu, preferably self-administered. Hippokratia 2016, 20(1): 44-49.
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In the past decade, the incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) has shown a stable increase, for both sexes, in many parts of the world at a rate faster than for any other type of malignancy. The aim of our study was to analyze and report changes in TC incidence in Serbia, as well as to evaluate potential reasons for these changes. So far, the incidence of TC in Serbia has not been reported. ⋯ We found a substantial increase in TC incidence in Serbia for both genders. The highest increase in TC incidence was found in females aged 20 to 29 years while the highest incidence was found in the age group 50 to 59.
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Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) represents less than 0.1% of all tumors, but it is considered the most common skin sarcoma. Wide local excision (=5 cm) has been largely replaced by Mohs micrographic surgery; however, recurrence is not rare. Description of the case: A 35-year-old man presented with a large tumor on the upper side of his back and underwent local excision with the possible preoperative diagnosis of lipoma. Upon histological examination, the diagnosis of DFSP was made, and the patient underwent wide local excision with skin flap reconstruction and was referred for adjuvant radiotherapy.On twenty months follow-up, no recurrence has been observed. ⋯ DFSP is the most common cutaneous sarcoma. It originates in the dermis and tends to infiltrate underlying structures, including muscles, tendons, fascia and bone. In our case, the tumor was confined to the skin and subcutaneous tissue, however, our patient underwent adjuvant radiotherapy to avoid a possible relapse that would infiltrate deeper structures. Long-term follow-up is strongly recommended. Hippokratia 2016, 20(1): 80-83.
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Death certification represents an excellent source for mortality statistics and appropriate public health surveillance. Errors in reporting the cause of death impede the development of national health policies and, accordingly, allocation of resources. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of errors in the cause of death and to identify factors that may be associated with inaccuracies in death certificates. ⋯ High rate of recording errors at death certification influences the accuracy of the cause of death in a defined region in Southern Greece. Due to their impact on mortality statistics and health policies, standard practices of death certification should be established. Coordinated educational interventions are expected to play a significant role on this. Hippokratia 2016, 20(1): 19-25.