Characteristics of thyroidectomy in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Thyroidectomy is a common treatment for thyroid disorders in Taiwan, and constitutes a significant percentage of medical expenses. This study investigated the characteristics of thyroidectomy in Taiwan. METHODS: A total of 21 senior general surgeons from 16 medical centers and 5 regional hospitals participated. One surgeon from each hospital reviewed the hospital's medical records of thyroid operations performed in the year 2001. Medical records for 3846 thyroidectomies were retrospectively analyzed, including surgical indications and modalities, complications, pathology reports, and the use of antibiotics. RESULTS: Most of the patients were women (85%). Indications for surgery included proven malignancy (9%), suspicious malignancy (30%), evident compression symptoms (20%), hyperthyroidism (20%), and cosmetic reasons (12%). The majority of patients (78%) underwent a surgical procedure with lobectomy or bilateral thyroidectomy; 13% had unilateral partial thyroidectomy. Prophylactic antibiotics were administered in 46% of procedures, and continued postoperatively in 12%. Postoperative complications occurred in 12% of patients. Hypocalcemia was the most common complication (8%), and its incidence was significantly correlated with the frequency of total thyroidectomy (p < 0.01). Complete pathology reports for the thyroidectomized specimens were available in only 65% of the cases. The frequency of cosmetic reasons for surgery, unilateral subtotal resection, routine antibiotic administration, and incomplete pathology reports were significantly higher in regional hospitals than in medical centers. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction in the high rates of cosmetic reasons for surgery, unilateral partial thyroidectomy, incomplete pathology reports, and use of antibiotic prophylaxis are needed to improve the quality of thyroidectomy in Taiwan.     

Successful balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty for congenital valvular pulmonary stenosis in an octogenarian.

While balloon valvuloplasty has been widely used for the treatment of congenital valvular pulmonary stenosis (PS) in children and adults, its use in elderly patients is less common. An 80-year-old woman with congenital valvular PS received valvuloplasty with double-balloon technique. Right ventricle systolic pressure and pulmonary valve systolic pressure gradient decreased from 95 to 44 mm Hg and from 75 to 35 mm Hg, respectively. Follow-up Doppler echocardiography 2 months later showed further decrease in the transvalvular systolic pressure gradient to 29 mm Hg. The patient had symptomatic relief, and no major complication was noted. Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty can be an effective treatment for elderly patients with congenital valvular PS.     

Intussusception in Taiwanese children: analysis of incidence, length of hospitalization and hospital costs in different age groups.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study investigated the characteristics of intussusception in Taiwanese children of different age groups, including the incidence, length of hospitalization and hospital costs. METHODS: Children with a diagnosis of intussusception who were hospitalized from 1999 through 2001 were identified from a nationwide health insurance claims database. The incidence of intussusception was calculated by age, gender, and season. Length of hospitalization and hospital costs were also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 6988 cases of intussusception were identified in Taiwan from 1999 to 2001. Among them, 4859 cases occurred in children below 15 years of age. The average incidence among children below age 15 years was 34.5 per 100,000, with a peak incidence of 118.8 per 100,000 observed among children younger than 24 months old. The highest incidence of intussusception in Taiwanese children occurred between 12 and 24 months of age. According to the data for patients below 15 years of age hospitalized for intussusception in year 2000, males were more likely to be affected than females (61.3% vs 38.7%). Intussusception-related hospitalizations were rare in infants in the first few months of life, increased in those 6 to 12 months old, and peaked among children 1 to 3 years old. Among the 952 patients with intussusception admitted to hospitals in 2000, 297 (31.2%) received surgery, incurring higher median medical costs (New Taiwan Dollars [NT dollars] 42,265 or US dollars 1234) and longer median hospital stay (6.2 days) than the 655 patients who did not require surgery (NT dollars 6290 or US dollars 185 for hospitalization of 2.4 days). CONCLUSIONS: The study found that the incidence of intussusception peaked in the second year of life in Taiwanese children. There was also a male predominance and lack of seasonal variation in incidence.     

Recurrent acalculous cholecystitis and sclerosing cholangitis in a patient with X-linked hyper-immunoglobulin M syndrome.

X-linked hyper-immunoglobulin M (IgM) syndrome (XHIGM) is a rare genetic primary immunodeficiency disease caused by mutations of the CD40 ligand (CD40L) gene with normal or elevated levels of IgM and markedly decreased serum IgG, IgA, and IgE. Liver disease may occur as a clinical manifestation in XHIGM. This complication appears to increase with age. We report an 18-year-old male patient who had recurrent episodes of acalculous cholecystitis (AC) and sclerosing cholangitis (SC). The diagnosis of XHIGM was confirmed by the finding of CD40L expression < 1% of normal and a tyrosine 169 asparaginase (t526a) mutation in exon 5 (the tumor necrosis factor domain) of the CD40L gene. The patient had direct hyperbilirubinemia (direct bilirubin 5.5 mg/dL, total bilirubin 8.7 mg/dL), cholestasis (alkaline phosphatase 1133 U/L, gamma-glutamyl transferase 1019 U/L) and elevated transaminases (aspartate aminotransferase 70 U/L, alanine aminotransferase 101 U/L). Findings on abdominal ultrasound and abdominal computed tomography were compatible with AC. After the fourth episode of cholecystitis, cholecystectomy and liver biopsy were performed. Operative cholangiography revealed poor opacification of the hepatic duct and proximal common bile duct; the upstream intrahepatic bile ducts were not visualized. The biopsy specimen showed marked fibrosis of the portal areas. Enterococcus species was cultured from the bile. Children or adolescents with recurrent AC and SC should be evaluated for an underlying immunodeficiency syndrome such as XHIGM.     

Acute pancreatitis combined with acute Budd-Chiari syndrome as the initial manifestation of small cell lung cancer.

Tumor metastasis to the pancreas is a rare but recognized cause of acute pancreatitis. Autopsy series have reported a 24-40% of pancreatic involvement in small cell lung cancer. However, only a very few cases of tumor-induced acute pancreatitis have been described. Budd-Chiari syndrome complicating lung cancer is a rarely reported condition. We report a 68-year-old woman with extensive small cell lung cancer with the unusual initial presentation of both acute pancreatitis and acute Budd-Chiari syndrome. This patient suffered from progressive epigastralgia for 3 weeks. Severe epigastralgia with radiation to back and progressive jaundice developed 2 days prior to admission. After admission, the liver enlarged rapidly and the ascites increased markedly. Chest roentgenogram showed a mass lesion over the left lower lung field. Poorly differentiated carcinoma cells were found in ascites and bone marrow. The patient died on the ninth day of hospitalization before chemotherapy was initiated. Prompt diagnosis of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer may allow early chemotherapy treatment which favorably influences recovery when the pancreatitis is mild. Although prolonged survival might have been expected had this patient recovered from pancreatitis and received chemotherapy, diagnosis was delayed due to difficulty in immunohistochemical diagnosis of the tumor and the unusual clinical presentation. The use of stains employing antibodies against neurofilament and neuron-specific enolase cell antigens is important for early diagnosis of poorly differentiated metastatic tumor cells.     

Pneumocephalus after thoracoscopic excision of posterior mediastinal tumor.

Pneumocephalus is a very rare complication of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). A 66-year-old man developed pneumocephalus secondary to thoracoscopic excision of a neurogenic tumor in the posterior mediastinum. Pneumocephalus was diagnosed by brain computed tomography. Neurosurgical intervention was performed after conservative therapy had failed. The patient's condition had resolved without any neurologic sequelae 2 years later. When a patient has a relatively large amount of chest tube drainage and neurologic symptoms after VATS, the possibility of pneumocephalus due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage must be considered.     

Relationship of MAO-A promoter (u-VNTR) and COMT (V158M) gene polymorphisms to CSF monoamine metabolites levels in a psychiatric sample of caucasians: A preliminary report.

Monoamine oxidase A gene promoter (MAOA-uVNTR) and catechol-O-methyltransferase V158M (COMT-V158M) gene functional polymorphisms are reported to be associated with impulsive-aggression, but a biological intermediate effect remains to be determined. This study assessed the association of these polymorphisms with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monoamine metabolites as endophenotypes. Ninety-eight Caucasian psychiatric subjects were assessed for Axis I and II diagnosis. Subjects were genotyped for the functional polymorphisms, MAOA-uVNTR and COMT-V158M. CSF was obtained by lumbar puncture. Relationships of the two polymorphism to monoamine metabolites: HVA, 5-HIAA, and MHPG were examined. The higher-expressing MAOA-uVNTR genotype was associated with higher CSF-HVA levels in males only (n = 46) (195.80 pmol/ml, SD = 61.64 vs. 161.13, SD = 50.23, respectively; P = 0.042). No association was found with diagnosis. COMT-V158M had no association with CSF monoamine metabolites. The association of MAOA-uVNTR with dopaminergic activity in males is a preliminary finding that needs to be replicated in a larger sample of Caucasian males and relationships sought with clinical phenotypes. This article contains supplementary material, which may be viewed at the American Journal of Medical Genetics website at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0148-7299:1/suppmat/index.html.