INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate seasonal changes in patients diagnosed with gout.
METHODS: The study included patients aged 18–65 years who presented at the Rheumatology Polyclinic between November 2021 and November 2023 and were diagnosed with gout, and an age-matched control group. The find-ings of the gout patients at the time of presentation and seasonal changes in gout attacks were retrospectively evaluated. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were retrieved from the hospital information system.
RESULTS: A total of 170 individuals were analyzed. The gout patient group of 110 patients comprised 95 (86.3%) males and 15 (13.7%) females, with a mean age of 53.1 years. The control group of 60 healthy subjects comprised 35 (58.3%) males and 25 (41.7%) females, with a mean age of 55.1 years. The gout patients presented most frequently in spring, most often in the month of May. Of the gout patients, 40 (36.4%) presented with an attack. The attacks were seen most often in spring, in the month of April.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The study results showed that gout patients presented at hospital most often in spring, in the month of May, and that gout attacks occurred most often in spring, in the month of April. There is a need for further studies on the seasonality seen in gout disease.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate adherence to the MIND diet, a nutrition plan designed to protect brain health in healthcare workers operating under conditions such as heavy workload, job stress, shift work, and irregular eating habits.
METHODS: The study was conducted between 1 and 31 July 2025 at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye, with 310 healthcare workers who volunteered for the study, selected through random sampling. Data were collected using a 15-item MIND diet scale calculated based on data from a sociodemographic information questionnaire and an adult semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. A total score of 0–15 could be obtained from the scale. A high score indicates high adherence to the diet.
RESULTS: The median MIND score of the healthcare workers participating in the study was calculated as 7.5. While MIND diet scores did not differ according to gender, BMI, educational status, occupation, and marital status (p>0.05), a statistically significant relationship was found between income status and MIND adherence (p=0.025). Individuals with high MIND diet adherence rated their income status as good at a higher rate.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The components of the MIND diet should be evaluated in relation to the dietary habits and cultural background of the population being studied. Although it was thought that participants in this study, being healthcare professionals, would consume foods with various antioxidant properties more frequently in their diets in order to prevent age-related cognitive decline and protect brain health, their adherence to the MIND diet was unexpectedly low.

INTRODUCTION: Safe spine surgery requires comprehensive evaluation. Inadequate assessment may lead to diagnostic errors, inappropriate interventions, and preventable adverse outcomes.
METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed nine patients who were initially misdiagnosed or mismanaged for spinal complaints. Each underwent a detailed history, thorough physical examination, and appropriate imaging to establish an accurate diagnosis.
RESULTS: Patients had diverse conditions, including vertebral fractures, spinal infections, peripheral nerve lesions, bone marrow edema, and anatomical variants. Examples included an osteoporotic femoral neck fracture misdiagnosed as lumbar degeneration, a thoracic vertebral fracture mistaken for soft tissue trauma, and a cervical spinal nerve mass identified only after unnecessary ulnar nerve decompression. Accurate evaluation enabled timely interventions such as vertebroplasty, posterior stabilization, microsurgical nerve excision, antibiotic therapy, and conservative management. No further complications occurred.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This series highlights the importance of broad differential diagnosis, vigilance for atypical presentations, and systematic clinical reasoning. Meticulous assessment, attention to unusual findings, and readiness to seek second opinions are essential to enhance patient safety. These cases provide valuable educational lessons for clinicians, emphasizing the prevention of diagnostic errors and unnecessary procedures.