Amyloid goiter related with Crohn's disease: A rare association: Amyloid goiter secondary to Crohn's disease

INTRODUCTION

Amyloid goiter (AG) is characterized by enlargement of the thyroid gland as a result of extensive amyloid deposition in a bilateral and diffuse manner.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 58-year-old male patient was diagnosed of Crohn''s Disease (CD). He was admitted to our clinic with complaint of respiratory distress and rapid growth swelling in the neck. Ultrasound examination revealed huge multinodular goiter on both sides of thyroid gland. We performed bilateral total thyroidectomy. Pathological evaluation revealed AG.

DISCUSSION

Amyloid leads to degeneration in tissues, thereby disrupts the function of the relevant organs. It is important to distinguish AG from other reasons of goiter, particularly thyroid medullary cancer that can cause amyloid deposition in thyroid gland. Secondary amyloidosis frequently involves thyroid gland at microscopic level, but rarely causes goiter. An analysis of current literature revealed that only few cases of AG occurred secondary to CD. Herein we presented a case of AG who has rapidly growing goiter that associated with CD.

CONCLUSION

AG must be kept in mind in case of rapidly growing goiter, especially in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.     

三维重建射频损伤区域观察猪舌根射频损伤体积与射频能量及时间的关系

目的：目前临床进行隧道法舌根射频治疗时,其作用参数的设置仍缺乏统一的标准,故通过计算机三维重建射频损伤区域,分析猪舌根射频损伤体积与射频能量、时间的关系,从中得出应用舌根隧道法射频治疗的最佳作用能级和作用时间。 方法：实验于2006-06/2007-05在上海交通大学耳鼻喉科研究所完成。将36只实验用猪以射频作用能级1,2,3,4,5,6随机分成6组,每组6头猪,各个猪舌的作用时间分别设置为2,5,10,15,20,25s。用Coblation射频发生仪及Reflex55刀头进行猪舌根射频操作。射频作用后的舌根组织行连续冰冻切片,苏木精-伊红染色后,进行序列组织切片的全貌二维图像采集,对拟重建的结构进行边界提取和图像分割。将提取分割图像导入Image-Pro Solution图像处理软件,利用3D Constructor插件进行三维重建,并根据设定参数进行体积计算。用SPSS10.0统计学软件对所测数据进行统计学分析。 结果：①作用能级固定时,舌根组织射频损伤体积随时间延长而增大,符合Logarithmic回归曲线。②作用时间固定时,舌根组织射频损伤体积随能级增大而增大,符合直线回归。③射频损伤体积随能量增大而增加亦符合Logarithmic回归曲线。④Coblation射频治疗系统在能级6时,在作用10s之前,损伤体积随作用时间增加而迅速增加,其后变化趋势平缓,超过20s后损伤体积无显著增加。 结论：①舌根区域射频治疗时,舌根组织射频损伤体积与时间或能量呈Logarithmic曲线相关,与能级呈直线相关。②Coblation射频治疗系统在能级6时,最佳作用时间范围为10-20s。     

Dose-dense chemotherapy for breast cancer

The concept of dose-dense chemotherapy has emerged and is based on the hypothesis that maximal chemotherapy effectiveness can be achieved by scheduling the interval of chemotherapy to correspond to the period of most rapid tumor growth, as predicted by preclinical models. The granulocyte-colony stimulating factor support has permitted the safe delivery of chemotherapy at shorter ("dose-dense") inter-treatment intervals. Several randomized trials have been conducted to test the feasibility and effectiveness of anthracycline and/or taxanes-based dose-dense strategies. They have been associated with a modest impact on disease recurrence and overall survival of patients with early-stage breast cancer. Subset analyses have suggested increased benefits for specific tumor subtypes such as hormone receptor-negative, highly proliferative or HER2 overexpressing tumors. This review article aims to outline the theoretical framework for dose-dense chemotherapy and summarizes the results of several recent clinical trials addressing this concept within neoadjuvant and adjuvant breast cancer treatment and discuss their implications for clinical practice. Further studies are needed to define the optimal regimen and the patient population that will receive the greatest benefit from dose-dense strategy.     

Antiviral Treatment of Patients with Recurrent Hepatitis C After Liver Transplantation with Pegylated Interferon

Background  

The recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) after liver transplantation (OLT) leads to recurrent cirrhosis in up to 40% of patients.     

Prediction of Caesarean Section from Ultrasound and Clinical Assessment of Fetal Size

EDITORIAL COMMENT: We accepted this paper for publication because the authors have explored the possible value of ultrasound versus clinical assessment of fetal size to see whether they can predict the need for Caesarean section when the baby is large. In this study both the ultrasound and the clinical assessment were impressively accurate and fetal femur length was the most accurate of the ultrasound parameters in assessing fetal weight in predicting the need for Caesarean section. However, as the authors indicate, none of these methods of assessment of fetal size are recommended as an absolute indication for Caesarean section. Every obstetrician uses clinical assessment of the fetus when evaluating management of the patient but the need for clinical judgment remains.
Summary: One hundred and five women with singleton pregnancies and cephalic presentation were assessed. Fundal height and a clinical estimate of fetal weight were recorded. The fetal biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference and femur length were measured with ultrasound. Ultrasound estimated fetal weight was calculated using 3 different formulas (Shepard, Campbell and CUHK). The liquor volume was assessed using the amniotic fluid index.
Ultrasound was able to predict Caesarean section with more reliability than clinical assessment of fetal size or weight. The biparietal diameter, fundal height and amniotic fluid index were poor predictors of mode of delivery. The measurements which best predicted the mode of delivery were the fetal femur length and abdominal circumference. Femur length, but not abdominal circumference, was a statistically better predictor of Caesarean section than clinical estimation of fetal weight. There was no improvement in prediction using ultrasound estimated fetal weight.     

Posterior capsule opacification 3 years after implantation of an AcrySof and a MemoryLens in fellow eyes

PURPOSE: To compare the rates of lens epithelial cell (LEC) migration and posterior capsule opacification (PCO) 1 and 3 years after sutureless small incision phacoemulsification and in-the-bag implantation of 2 acrylic polymer intraocular lenses (IOLs)-the AcrySof and MemoryLens-in fellow eyes of patients. SETTING: Eye Clinic, Beyo?lu Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. METHODS: Fifty patients with no systemic or ocular problems that would interfere with postoperative visual acuity were included in this prospective study. Each patient had in-the-bag implantation of an AcrySof IOL in 1 eye and a MemoryLens in the fellow eye in a randomized fashion after uneventful phacoemulsification through a sutureless clear corneal incision. RESULTS: At 1 year (n = 32 patients), there was no significant difference between fellow eyes in postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and contrast sensitivity. In the MemoryLens group, 10 eyes (31.3%) had PCO and 9 (28.1%), LEC migration. In the AcrySof group, no eye had PCO and 2 eyes (6.3%) had LEC migration (P <.001). At 3 years (n = 21 patients), 1 eye (4.7%) in the AcrySof group had PCO and 3 eyes (14.4%) had LEC migration without PCO. In the MemoryLens group, 1 eye (4.7%) had a clear posterior capsule, 11 eyes (52.4%) had LEC migration, and 9 eyes (42.9%) had PCO (P <.001). A neodymium:YAG capsulotomy was required in 4 eyes (19.0%) in the MemoryLens group but no eye in the AcrySof group. At 3 years, BCVA was lower in the MemoryLens group than in the AcrySof group (P <.05). CONCLUSION: The 3 year clinical data of fellow eyes indicate that the AcrySof IOL causes less PCO than the MemoryLens.     

Stimulated salivary flow rate in chronic hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND: Reduced salivary flow has been reported in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment. Our aim was to investigate the most important factors associated with stimulated salivary flow rate (ssfr) in chronic HD patients. METHODS: Fifty HD patients (27 F, 23 M, mean age 46. 7 +/- 13.2 years) were divided into two groups according to the duration of HD treatment as those receiving HD therapy less than or equal to (group I) or those more than (group II) 24 months. Fasting blood samples were obtained to determine hepatitis B and C serology, and biochemical and hematological parameters before a HD session. After prestimulation with a standard weight paraffin wax, stimulated saliva was collected in the HD patients and control group (23 F, 25 M, mean age 45.7 +/- 19.1 years) and the flow rate was expressed as ml/min. RESULTS: Both HD groups consisted of 25 patients. There was no significant difference between the two HD groups other than serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels and presence of HCV. The ssfr was decreased than controls in both groups (0.8 +/- 0.6 and 0.7 +/- 0.4, respectively, vs. 1.5 +/- 0.5 ml/min) and it did not correlate with any parameter. Smoking had a positive effect on ssfr in all groups. CONCLUSION: Although the salivary flow rate decreased significantly in chronic HD patients, the duration of therapy displayed no effect on the salivary changes in HD patients, but smoking increased ssfr.     

Sex difference in perceptual-verbal ability in relation to body size

Sex difference in verbal ability was reconsidered in relation to body size. The perceptual-verbal ability (PVA) was assessed using the A's Test. For the raw data, women excelled men, as expected. PVA positively correlated with height and weight of the subjects, but only for women. As a covariate of height, sex difference increased by increasing the women's score; men's score did not change. Tall women had much higher scores than short men. It was concluded that sex difference in PVA is stable despite the smaller body size of females than males, and body height may be predictive for this ability, but only in women.     

联合术式治疗女性出口处梗阻性便秘57例

1临床资料我们1999-06/2004-10收治女性出口处梗阻性便秘176例,其中耻骨直肠肌肥厚、直肠黏膜内脱垂、直肠前突三者并存57例,占32.4%,均为经产妇;年龄26～76岁,分娩1～5胎;病程1～32 a.合理的肠道及阴道准备,体位为膀胱截石位.用络合碘消毒阴道及肛管直肠腔.