Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of silver nitrate (SN) versus tetracycline in pleurodesis among patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Methods: In this prospective randomized clinical trial, patients with unilateral MPE candidate for pleurodesis were enrolled. The patients randomly allocated in two groups for receiving 20 mL 0.5% SN or 2.5 g tetracycline diluted in 30 cc normal saline and 0.1% lidocaine, through the chest tube. Patients were followed-up immediately (during 24 h) and 1-month after the procedure for evaluating recurrence of the pleural effusion using chest radiograph. They were clinically evaluated for chest pain and/or dyspnea and fever using a questionnaire that completed by the surgeon. The results were compared with two groups. Results: During this trial, 50 patients with MPE candidate for pleurodesis were selected and randomized into two interventional groups (25 patients in each group). Immediate and late recurrence of pleural effusion after pleurodesis were similar in two groups (P > 0.05). All patients in tetracycline group had fever and chest pain, but in SN group fever and chest pain were reported in 3 (12%) and 12 (48%) of patients, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion: SN is at least as effective as tetracycline for MPE treatment. In addition, its side effects were lower than tetracycline. Other advantages of SN are its low cost, availability, and safety. For more accurate results, it is recommended to design further trials with larger sample size and with lower doses of both SN and tetracycline.

Background: Cryptorchidism is a common problem which is prevalent in 3% of male infants. This study aimed to determine the effect of both trans fixation and Dartos pouch fixation methods on the postoperative recurrence rate and testicular changes. Materials and Methods: In a clinical trial study, 70 children were randomly divided into two groups. In the first group, the correction of cryptorchidism was done by Dartos pouch without suture and in the second group; testis was sutured using common trans fixation. The size of testicles was measured before and 6 months after surgery, children were followed on postoperative complications, trauma to testicles and recurrence of disease in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS soft ware. Results: The mean size of testicles was 87.16 ± 20.6 mm² in the group with fixed testicle and 182.4 ± 37.9 mm² in the group with not-fixed testicle before operation and the difference between the two groups was significant (P &#61; 0.013). After surgery, the mean size of testicles was 90.8 ± 19.9 mm² in the group with fixed testicle and 183.7 ± 41.2 mm² in the group with not-fixed testicle and the difference between them was significant (P &#61; 0.026). The average of changes in testicular size was 3.62 ± 1.93 and 1.25 ± 5.35 mm² in both fixed and not-fixed groups, respectively and changes in testicular size had no significant difference between the two groups. (P &#61; 0.68). Conclusions: Type of fixation had no effect on the size of testes or relevance to the level of retraction. The above management protocol did very well in our hands, and we recommend it for application in the management of undescended testis.

Background: End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a state of micro inflammation that attenuates patient's life span and quality of life. Inflammatory markers like interlukin 6 (IL-6) and C- reactive protein (CRP) can predict inflammatory state in ESRD patients. Dietary limitations are risk factors for omega-3 deficiency in these patients. Omega-3 supplementation is an attractive material that proposed in inflammation modulation. The aim of this study is evaluation of effect of omega-3 supplementation on IL-6 and CRP level in chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled double-blind clinical trial is performed in 40 CAPD patients in two academic hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. One group received 1000 mg omega-3 capsule (each capsule contains 180 mg Eicosapentanoic and 120 mg Dosahexanoic acid) three times a day orally for 8 weeks (n = 20) and the other matched group by placebo (n = 20). Serum level of IL-6 and quantitative CRP (Q-CRP) were measured in beginning and the end of the study. Finally all data were analyzed by SPSS version 18. Results: Mean age of patients was 53 years old in omega-3 group patients and 54 years old in placebo group. There were not any differences in CRP and IL-6 level in the beginning and the end of study between two groups (P: 0.81 and 0.10 for CRP and 0.26 and 0.23 for IL-6, respectively). Conclusion: Omega-3 supplementation did not effect on inflammatory markers (Q-CRP and IL-6) in CAPD patients after 8 weeks.

Background: Previous publications reported that an individual's month of birth (MOB) might have an important correlation to that consequent risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). Aim: The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the distribution of different MOBs inpatients with MS in Isfahan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This investigation was conducted to the Isfahan Neurosciences Research Centre. 1283 patients with MS were studied. Clinical data were recorded in d-Base and analyzed using SPSS (version 18) for Windows. Results: Of the total population studied there were 979 females and 304 males. The mean age of all the patients was 34.6 years (range 10-87 years). Within the total population, the MOBs in the 62% of patients were in the season's spring and summer, and in 38% of patients they were in the season's autumn and winter. As the MOB might be recognized to have a bearing on an individual's risk of contracting MS, the highest and lowest correlations seem to be linked with April, September, May (↑), and November (↓), respectively. Conclusions: The seasonal relationship between MOBs and MS risk might be pointed toward a potential function for vitamin D throughout pregnancy or the early life of the newborn. Further studies are needed to confirm these correlations.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial disease that could result from demyelination of the myelin sheath. The aim of this study is to investigate the demographic features and  rank the immunomodulating drugs in patients with MS. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the MS clinic of the Isfahan Kashani Hospital, from 22 May, 2011 to 18 March, 2013. The data analyses (n = 1067) were divided  into two periods: (1) 2011/05/22 to 2012/03/18 denoted as P1 and (2) 2012/04/02 to 2013/03/18 denoted as P2. Results: Most of drugs prescribed within the population studied were: Avonex, Betaferone, and Rebif. There was an increase in the number of female (n = 811) and male subjects (n = 256). During P1/P2 there was an increase from 460 to 607 in the total number of patients, respectively. The number of patients who attended the MS clinic once was 250 (P1) versus 430 (P2), and those more than four times was 71 (P1) versus 59 (P2) correspondingly. Conclusion: The number of females increased from 2011 to 2013. Because of dissimilar ingredients additive of different pharmaceutical companies, it could be suggested that pharmacotherapy strategies, especially in Iranian population of MS with first-line treatment using Avonex, Betaferone and Rebif, more spotlighted on inter- and intra-individual variability based on clinical pharmacokinetics parameters.

Background: Aphasia is a language disorder caused by left hemisphere damage. For treatment of aphasia, in some of therapeutic approaches, the right hemisphere (RH) abilities, such as, emotional perception, is used for stimulation of the language process in the left hemisphere. The aim of this study is to investigate emotional word repetition in aphasia after a stroke, in Persian language patients. Materials and Methods: Fifteen aphasic patients (eleven male and four female) between 45 and 65 (58/4 ± 7/8) years of age, participated in this cross-sectional study. A list of 20 emotional words and a list of 20 neutral words as stimuli were prepared and the patients were asked to repeat each word after five seconds; if a patient needed to repeat a word again, it was repeated for him/her again, and the total score for each subject was calculated. The paired t-test was used to test group mean differences and the significant level was 0.05. Results: The mean and standard deviation for emotional word repetitions were 6.93 ± 1.72 and for non-emotional word repetition was 7.10 ± 2.23, and the P value = 0.892, thus, no significant difference between emotional and non-emotional word repetitions was noticed. The mean and standard deviation for the positive emotional word repetitions were 3.53 ± 3.29 and for negative word repetitions were 3.40 ± 3.56, (P = 0.751), with no significant difference between positive and negative emotional word repetitions. Conclusion: Despite the main hypothesis that the right hemisphere is involved in the processing of emotions, it can be stated that both hemispheres are involved in the processing of emotional words, albeit in a different and probably complementary manner.

Background: Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is a newly developed method of performing cholecystectomy and has been increasingly used. The aim of this study is to see if SILC has any advantages over conventional (three-port) laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC). Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 52 patients who underwent SILC (group A) during the period from May 2011 to March 2013 were compared with 62 patients who underwent CLC (group B) at two centers affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Shiraz, Iran. Data were gathered on operation time, pre- and postoperative complications, patients' postoperative pain, pain reliever use, duration of hospital stay, and return to work, and these data were compared using SPSS software version 16. Results: The mean age of patients was 38.01 ± 13.24 in group A and 44.82 ± 15.11 in group B. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 23.97 ± 4.78 and 26.22 ± 4.67 in groups A and B, respectively. The mean operation time was 76.4 ± 29.0 min in group A and 72.9 ± 24.1 min in group B (P = 0.496). Preoperative complications were 3.8% in group A and 0 in group B (P = 0.206). Postoperative complications were 17.3% in group A and 11.3% in group B (P = 0.423). The mean for early postoperative pain revealed no significant difference (P = 0.814), but the mean pain on discharge was significantly higher in group A patients (P = 0.034). Regarding the mean admission time and return to normal activity, we found no significant differences. Conclusion: SILC does not have any special advantages over CLC with regard to surgical outcomes, but it can be a safe alternative to CLC, especially in patients concerned about cosmoses.