Surgical treatment of substernal goiter

BACKGROUND: Substernal goiter differs from its cervical counterpart in regard to its clinical presentation, surgical management, pathological analysis and postoperative complication. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 1320 thyroidectomies performed at the Hacettepe University Hospital between 1990 and 1997. RESULTS: 30 (2.3%) of 1320 thyroidectomies underwent operation for removal of substernal goiters in an 8-year period. The most common symptom was cervical mass (67%) and 33% of the patients were asymptomatic. Computerised tomography was the most accurate pre-operative test for detecting substernal extension. Substernal goiters were removed by collar incisions in 93% of the cases. The pathology was generally found to be benign (94%), but follicular carcinoma was present in two (6%) patients. There was no mortality and no complications were observed in 73% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of substernal goiter is an indication for removal given the lack of any effective medical therapy, low surgical morbidity, risk of malignancy and acute obstructing symptoms.     

The Factors Contributing to Death Anxiety in Cancer Patients

Suffering comes in many ways for patients confronting cancer. One of these is an unspecifiable fear about death, which is an existential issue. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between death anxiety and its correlates in cancer patients. Seventy cancer patients were assessed using SCID-I, Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, the Hospital Anxiety (A) and Depression (D) Scale, the Distress Thermometer, the Visual Analogue Scale for pain (VAS), the Global Assessment of Functioning, and Glock and Stark's Dimensions of Religious Commitment scales, and these assessments were compared between cancer patients with and without death anxiety. Multiple regression analysis was conducted after correlation analysis between death anxiety and sociodemographic and clinical variables. Axis I psychiatric diagnosis, pain scores, and negative believes about what will happen after death were found to be higher in patients having death anxiety than patients not having death anxiety. Also life expectancy was perceived as shortened in patients with death anxiety. Death anxiety was associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and beliefs about what will happen after death. In conclusion, death anxiety could not be regarded as a natural consequence of having cancer; it is associated with the unresolved psychological and physical distress.     

Infarction of the septomarginal band and tricuspid papillary muscle rupture related to alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

We presented a 77‐year‐old man with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy applied with flail tricuspid leaflet and severe tricuspid regurgitation leading to right heart failure 2 months after the failed septal ablation. The ruptured anterior tricuspid papillary muscle resulted from infarction of the base of anterior papillary muscle of the right ventricle (RV) confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. As the septomarginal band is frequently lit up by intracoronary contrast that particular attention should be paid to the RV papillary muscles. And, if the papillary muscles or the RV free wall is brightened, then the use of that septal artery should be avoided.