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Biomedical subjects

A Frilling

Publications and source records attributed to A Frilling.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Hyperplasia and tumors of the parathyroid glands].

Hyperparathyroidism is mainly caused by hyperplasia or adenomas of the parathyroid glands. Formerly, the therapeutic strategy depended on the morphological diagnosis (preferentially already made intraoperatively by examination of frozen sections). Today, however, the extent of parathyroid surgery is in many cases guided both by substantial improvements in the preoperative clinical diagnosis as well as the intraoperatively determined decrease in the serum parathyroid hormone level. Nevertheless, the pathologist should be familiar with the differential diagnostic criteria of parathyroid hyperplasia, adenoma, and carcinoma.

Humans↗

[Living organ donor transplantation--the German experience in comparison to others].

Living liver donation is a prominent and innovative method in the therapy of terminal liver disease in children and adults. Live donation of livers was first used in 1989 for children. After only 10 years, the concept was also established for application in adults. Due to the imminent lack of donor organs and the constantly increasing need of liver transplantation, this method will continue to grow in importance.

Adult↗

Diagnostic value of high-resolution B-mode and power-mode sonography in the follow-up of thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Ultrasonography is an established diagnostic modality in the follow-up of thyroid cancer. Color flow Doppler has been proposed by some authors as an additional tool for differentiating benign from malignant cervical lesions in various types of head and neck cancer. Over the last few years, a new generation of high-resolution ultrasound platforms with the "power-mode" feature has become available, that also enables the imaging of small vessel blood flow. The objective of our study was to find ways of optimizing the differentiation of benign and malignant cervical tumors in thyroid cancer follow-up by means of sonography. METHODS: Hundred and twelve cervical lesions in 90 patients with thyroid cancer were evaluated by high-end ultrasonography (Sonoline Elegra, Siemens) using a small-part transducer (7.5 L 40, Siemens). B-mode sonography was performed at a frequency of 8 MHz. The Solbiati index (SI= ratio of largest to smallest diameter), configuration, echogenicity, intranodular structures, and margins were assessed. Perinodular and intranodular blood flow was evaluated by color flow Doppler (PRF 1250 Hz for conventional color flow Doppler, 868 Hz for power-mode Doppler). Possible malignancy was validated by histology, cytology, scintigraphy, and follow-up. Thirty five lesions were benign (diameter 0.4-3.0 cm) and 77 were malignant (0.4-5.4 cm). The patients were randomized into a test group and a learning group to determine the diagnostic value of various ultrasound criteria by means of statistical analysis. In the learning group, decision rules based on the dichotomized criteria were developed using a logistic regression model. Sensitivity and specificity of these decision rules were then evaluated in the test group. RESULTS: The presence of an echocomplex pattern or irregular hyperechoic small intranodular structures (criterion A) and the presence of an irregular diffuse intranodular blood flow (criterion B) are the best indicators of malignancy, whereas an SI >>2 is highly indicative of benign changes. Color flow Doppler is a useful addition to B-mode scanning for distinguishing benign and malignant neoplasms in the follow-up of thyroid cancer. Power-mode Doppler sonography significantly improves imaging of perinodular and intranodular blood flow when compared with conventional color flow Doppler. CONCLUSION: We propose the following decision rules based on a combination of the criteria above: (A) and (B) fulfilled: malignant, if SI< or =4; (B) but not (A) fulfilled: malignant, if SI< or =3; (A) but not (B) fulfilled: malignant, if SI< or =2; neither (A) nor (B) fulfilled: malignant, if SI approximately equal to 1 (sensitivity: 90%; specificity: 82%; accuracy 88%).

Adult↗

[Surgical therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma].

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for most primary malignancies of the liver. The most important risk factor is liver cirrhosis. HCC can be traced by the tumor marker alpha-fetoprotein. Patients with a known liver cirrhosis should regularly be screened, including sonography and alpha-fetoprotein evaluation. Surgical therapy - either partial liver resection or liver transplantation - is the only treatment that can potentially achieve long-term survival. The presence of liver cirrhosis is likely to induce postoperative liver insufficiency and is associated with higher local tumor recurrence rate. Patients without liver cirrhosis or Child-Pugh A patients with tumors smaller than 5 cm may be considered as the ideal target group for resection. For more advanced stages of cirrhosis and tumors of less than 5 cm up to 7 cm in size, liver transplantation offers a better prognosis. Long waiting time for a suitable organ negatively influences liver transplantation outcome. Living donor liver transplantation is a novel therapeutic option that improves posttransplant survival and extends the indication for transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

[Standards of visceral organ procurement].

Due to poor willingness in the population to donate organs and increasing number of patients on the waiting list for organ transplantation there is an imminent need on cadaveric organs. Although efforts have been to optimize the prerequisites for organ donation, less than 50% of possible organ harvesting procedures take place. In our country, only 13.1 organ donations .per 1 million inhabitants were realized in 2001. These data force the medical community to maximize the utility of the donor pool. A refined surgical technique, increased efficacy of solutions for graft conservation, an advanced perioperative management and new potent immunosuppressive drugs contributed to a post-transplant 1-year graft and patient survival of up to 80 to 90%. The quality of a graft has a significant impact on the outcome of transplantation. An optimal graft function will not only be achieved with an adequate surgical and preservation technique but also with an appropriate management of the brain-dead donor on the intensive care unit. Basic knowledge of brain death definition, insight into the organization of organ donation, management of the donor, and modern surgical harvesting techniques are presented.

Adolescent↗

Expression of galectin-3 in normal and malignant thyroid tissue by quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry.

Galectin-3 has been extensively studied as an immunohistochemical marker of thyroid malignancy, and a high diagnostic accuracy has been reported even for difficult pathological diagnoses, such as minimal invasive follicular carcinoma. We consequently hypothesized that the quantitative analysis of galectin-3 mRNA rather than the more observer-dependent immunohistological determination might enhance the diagnostic workup of ambiguous thyroid lesions. In the present study, we set out to validate this approach by analyzing concomitantly the expression and production of galectin-3 in benign and malignant thyroid tumors by means of quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. Twenty-eight benign and 31 malignant thyroid samples were quantified by real-time PCR for the mRNA levels of galectin-3 and thyroglobulin. Galectin-3 protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in 13 benign and 14 malignant thyroid samples. There was a significant increase in galectin-3 at both the mRNA (12/20) and protein levels in papillary cancer (8/8), although the mRNA values overlapped partly with benign lesions. Surprisingly, only a focal and discrete galectin-3 immunoreactivity was seen in follicular cancer (1/5); no augmentation of the mRNA was found. The expression of the thyroid-specific gene thyroglobulin was highly variable in benign and malignant thyroid tissue. These results suggest that the quantitative measurement of galactin-3 mRNA is unlikely to be clinically useful and underscore the need for searching for novel markers for thyroid malignancies.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

[Continously increasing sensitivity in thyroid cancer aftercare in the course of three generations of thyroglobulin IMAs].

UNLABELLED: Aim of our study was to evaluate the increasing sensitivity within three generations of thyroglobulin (Tg) assays, which were available during the past decade, and its clinical impact for patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: Determination of Tg using the IRMA introduced in 1989 (Dynotest Tg, Henning Berlin, Berlin; assay A) and 1994 (Selco Tg, Medipan Diagnostica, Selchow; assay B), as well as the IEMA available recently (Medizym Tg Rem, Medipan Diagnostica, Selchow; assay C). RESULTS: We found a close correlation between the measurable Tg values of assay A and B (r=0.985; p<0.001) as well as assay B and C (r=0.978; p<0.001). Assay B (lowest detection limit: 0.3 ng/ml) was more than twice as sensitive as assay A and did not show quite as many disturbances of recovery (in 0.5% versus 4% of our patients). Due to its strict calibration to the European reference preparation CRM 457, Tg values determined by assay C were in the mean 1.9-fold higher than by assay B. Thus, with its functional sensitivity of 0.03 ng/ml assay C is nearly 20-fold more sensitive than assay B. Whereas the proportion of measurable Tg values was only 22% in a selected group of patients (criterion of inclusion: Tg in assay B< or =1 ng/ml with TSH-suppressive conditions; n=317 serum samples from 103 patients), it was 68% in assay C, with good intraindividual reproducibility of these values in the course. CONCLUSION: The ultrasensitive assay C is especially suitable for the follow-up of treated thyroid cancer patients being considered as cured, and may shorten the time interval until the detection of a recurrence markedly: the gain of time calculated from the Tg courses in patients with a gradually progressive tumor relapse ranged from 5 to 15 months.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Multiple adenomas and hepatocellular carcinoma in a renal transplant patient with glycogen storage disease type 1a (von Gierke disease).

We report on a 42-year-old female patient with glycogen storage disease type 1a (von Gierke disease, GSD 1a) who developed hepatic adenomas and finally a hepatocellular carcinoma 10 years after renal transplantation. The tumor was resected; however, the patient died 6 months later as a result of fulminant carcinoma recurrence. In patients who have GSD 1a with terminal renal failure, combined liver and kidney transplantation may be considered at an early stage of the disease.

Adenoma↗

[Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy of a patient with an ACTH-producing pituitary adenoma and an "empty sella" after pretreatment with etomidate].

HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A seventy-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital under suspicion of an adrenal Cushings's syndrome. Initial laboratory values showed elevated cortisol (834 nmol/l; normal: 180-640) which could not be suppressed after administration of 2 mg dexamethasone (632 nmol/l). Computed tomography of the abdomen showed a 19 x 34 mm mass in the region of the left adrenal gland. INVESTIGATIONS: ACTH levels were normal (42 ng/ml; 17-52). Serum cortisol remained high at 1021 nmol/l after administration of 8 mg dexamethasone. Four more doses of 2 mg dexamethasone were applied on 3 consecutive days, leading to a mild suppression of serum cortisol to 705 nmol/l, with urine cortisol levels dropping from 1915 to 101 nmol/l/24 h. The CRH-test produced a rise of serum cortisol from 895 to 1475 nmol, with ACTH rising from 42 to 68 pg/ml, a laboratory constellation consistent with the diagnosis of centrally located Cushing's syndrome (Cushing's disease). MRI failed to show an adenoma of the pituitary gland so that sinus petrosus sampling was done to confirm the diagnosis (ACTH central/peripheral 7:1; normal range < 2:1). TREATMENT AND COURSE: Serum cortisol rose to 1070 nmol/l and the patient developed pneumonia and contracted tinea. Prior to surgery we lowered the excessive cortisol levels with etomidate and successfully treated the pneumonia with antibiotics. Postoperatively clinical symptoms of Cushing's syndrome disappeared. The patient now presented with total insufficiency of the anterior pituitary. CONCLUSION: Exact hormone testing that may involve sinus petrosus sampling is necessary in diagnosing Cushing's syndrome. Even if radiological procedures cannot show an adenoma of the pituitary, transsphenoidal resection should be considered. Etomidate can lower excessive cortisol levels in seriously ill patients.

Adenoma↗

[Early operation as a treatment measure in thyrotoxic crisis].

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid storm is a rare disease, occurring in less than 1% of all thyrotoxicoses. Diagnosis and therapy still have serious problems. METHODS: We review 14 patients who were operated on between 1992 and 1999 because of thyroid storm. RESULTS: All of the ten women and four men, aged 27 to 77 years, had an underlying thyroid disease. Autonomies were found in seven, Grave's disease in four, and a nodular goiter in three patients. The precipitating events were in five patients an antiarrhythmic therapy with amiodarone, on three occasions application of contrast medium, two times omission of antithyroid drugs and in one patient severe hyperglycemia with acidosis. In three patients no triggering factor was discovered. All patients were treated with high-dose antithyroid therapy. On admission, four patients were graded as stage-one thyroid crisis, three patients had stage-two and seven patients stage-three disease. All patients were operated on within 18 h of admission. Surgical procedure was in seven cases a bilateral subtotal resection, four times thyroidectomy, and in three patients a Dunhill procedure. After the operation, 12 patients improved rapidly. Two 77 and 74-year-old women died 1 or 2 days after the operation, respectively, one from heart failure and the other from multiple organ failure. Both had been diagnosed as thyrotoxic crisis stage three. CONCLUSION: Early operation should be adopted as a standard option in thyroid storm that cannot be controlled medically. Best results are achieved if the operation is done at stage one or two of the disease.

Adult↗

[Diagnosis and treatment of persistent or recurrent hyperthyroidism].

Reasons for postoperative persistence of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) are missed parathyroid adenoma, incomplete removal of multiple altered pararthyroid glands, and rare variants of localisation. A reoperation is indicated in symptomatic patients if calcium serum levels are elevated above 2.9 mmol/l. Preoperatively, cervical sonography and 99mTc sestamibi scintigraphy should be carried out. Additionally, selective venous blood sampling and nuclear magnetic resonance tomography can be of use. After successful localization, a unilateral approach is advisable. If position remains unclear, bilateral exploration is required. In secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT), renal function is crucial for development of recurrence. For postoperative persistence, identification of less than four pararthyroid glands or leaving of the thymus are the main reasons. Before reoperation it has to be clarified if parathyroid hyperfunction is caused by persisting cervical or mediastinal tissue, or if hyperfunction of autotransplanted tissue in the forearm is evident. Diagnostic and operative procedures are similar to those used in pHPT.

Adenoma↗

Preoperative diagnostic value of [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in patients with radioiodine-negative recurrent well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of 2-[(18)F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to detect recurrent disease in the follow-up of patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) who have negative diagnostic (131)I scans and abnormal thyroglobulin levels. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: In general, patients with WDTC have an excellent long-term prognosis when appropriate surgical treatment and follow-up are carried out. After total thyroid ablation, whole-body (131)I scintigraphy and measurement of serum thyroglobulin are useful diagnostic tools to detect persistent or recurrent malignancy. In case of tumor dedifferentiation, decreased or lost iodine-accumulating ability may lead to false-negative (131)I scanning results. The diagnostic and therapeutic delay is responsible for a poor prognosis in this subgroup of patients. Efforts have been made in the search for suitable imaging modalities capable of early detection of recurrent thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: The authors prospectively analyzed 24 patients with WDTC, negative results of whole-body (131)I scintigraphy, and elevated serum thyroglobulin concentrations. Attenuation-corrected whole-body FDG-PET scans from the neck to the upper legs were performed. In addition, all patients underwent cervical ultrasonography. The results of the imaging studies were compared with histopathologic findings. If no resection of the suspicious lesion was carried out, computed tomography data were used as control criteria. RESULTS: Overall, FDG-PET disclosed 38 hot spots. The sensitivity of the method was 94.6%, but the specificity was lower (25.0%). The diagnostic accuracy was 87.8%. There were three false-positive results in two patients with benign cervical lymph nodes. In one patient with regional lymph node metastases in the neck, two false-negative results were obtained. Ultrasound classified both findings as malignant, however. Because of unexpected findings, FDG-PET suggested potential modification of the surgical management in nine patients. Distant metastases could be disclosed using FDG-PET in only three patients. CONCLUSIONS: FDG-PET is a useful diagnostic tool in the follow-up of thyroidectomized patients with WDTC, negative (131)I scanning results, and abnormal serum thyroglobulin concentrations. The method detects metastatic disease in 94.6% of cases. PET results changed surgical tactics in a significant number of patients. Accurate staging of locoregional cancer recurrence in the neck may be consummately obtained by concomitant analysis of PET and ultrasound results.

Adolescent↗