Thyroid Diagnosis

Abstract
Background  Transient hypocalcemia is one of the postoperative complications of thyroidectomy for Graves’ disease, and perioperative parathyroid
hormone (PTH) assays are used to predict postoperative hypocalcemia. We evaluated long-term changes in parathyroid function
after surgery for Graves’ disease.

Methods  Serum PTH values were measured in Graves’ patients with postoperative hypocalcemia, and those patients were followed postoperatively.

Cancer recurrence is more common in patients with multifocal micropapillary cancer who are treated with less than near total thyroidectomy compared to patients with unifocal papillary cancer who are treated with less than near total thyroidectomy, according to data presented on Oct 2, 2008 at the 79th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association (ATA) in Chicago, IL. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)  

We report a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma of the thyroid gland. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such case to be reported in the cytology literature. An 81-year-old male with known CLL presented for routine physical examination and was found to have a left-sided thyroid nodule. Thyroid ultrasound showed a calcified nodule. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was performed and revealed PTC and an atypical lymphoid infiltrate that was suspicious for lymphoma.

This study aimed to identify the clinicopathologic features, treatment outcome, and the indicators for predicting recurrence, and to suggest the optimal extent of surgery in these patients. We retrospectively analyzed data of 58 patients who underwent surgical treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer and concurrent Graves' disease. The follow-up period ranged from 23 to 260 months (mean+/-standard devuation, 116.8+/-54.0). In our series, the mean age was 40.8+/-12.7 yr (range, 15-70), with a male-to-female ratio of 1: 6.25. The mean tumor size was 13+/-9 mm (range, 3-62).

We present a patient with medically refractory amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis after a 2-year history of amiodarone use, resulting in cardiac arrest and encephalopathy. The patient ultimately required total thyroidectomy for symptomatic control.
PMID: 18982079 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings)

CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of costs shows a direct relationship between the complexity of the procedure and its cost, in terms of human resources, equipment and hospitalization. The use of ambulatory surgery units positively influenced by reducing costs.
PMID: 18928676 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Acta Otorrinolaringologica Espanola)

Psammoma bodies (PBs) are believed to represent a process of dystrophic calcification over nonviable and dying tissues. Light microscopic and ultrastructural observations suggest that PB formation follows the intracellular assembly of precursor substances and their calcification leading to death of tumor cells and their release. It may also be the result of local secretion of precursor substances like collagen by tumor cells into extracellular space and their calcification.

CONCLUSIONS: IPA are present in 3% of patients submitted to parathyroidectomy. They predominate in the right thyroid lobe and can be IIIP, IVP and supernumerary. They often cause persistence. Thyroid resection affords the best results since complete enucleation can be difficult and leaving behind a fragment of the IPA results in local recurrence.
PMID: 18928769 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cirugia eEspanola) 

The link between thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases has been recognized for more than 100 years. Although overt hypothyroidism leads to impaired cardiac function and possibly heart failure, the cardiovascular consequences of borderline low thyroid function are not clear. Establishment of a suitable animal model would be helpful. In this study, we characterized a rat model to study the relationship between cardiovascular function and graded levels of thyroid activity.

Abstract
Purpose  Surgeon inexperience has been defined as a significant predictor of deleterious outcome in thyroid surgery; however, the safety
of training programs in which residents are the primary surgeons is controversial. The objective of this prospective study
was to compare the complication rates of total thyroidectomy (TT) performed by residents with those of TT performed by specialist
surgeons in similar patient groups.