[Thyroid gland ultrasound screening (Papillon Initiative). Report of 15 incidentally detected thyroid cancers]. / Schilddrüsenultraschallscreening (Initiative Papillon). Bericht über 15 zufällig entdeckte Schilddrüsenkarzinome.

In the framework of the Thyroid initiative Papillon 2001 - 2002 thyroid nodules and sonographically detectable focal lesions with a diameter more than 5 mm were verified in 23.1% of 64.123 persons without a history of thyroid disease. The frequency of such findings was with 33.0% in 46-65 years old persons three times higher then in persons aged 18-30 years (9.6%). In the diagnostic workup thyroid cancer was detected in 15 patients operated on up to now (6 women and 9 men; papillary cancers in 12 cases, follicular cancers in 3 cases) The smallest tumor had a diameter of 1.3 cm, the mean diameter was 2.3 +/- 91 cm. In 3 patients the tumor had invaded the tissue beyond the thyroid capsule, in 4 cases multicentric growth was detected. Lymph node metastases were found in 7/15 cases and distant metastases in 2/15 cases. These result reveal, that thyroid cancer detected by chance may be relatively aggressive. In daily routine, sonographically detectable lesions with poor echogenicity, irregular margins or internal calcifications with a diameter of more than 1 cm should be clarified by fine needle aspiration biopsy.

[Patient selection criteria for single-sided or minimal invasive operative procedures in primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT)]. / Kriterien für die Patientenauswahl zur einseitigen bzw. minimal-invasiven chirurgischen Therapie des primären Hyperparathyreoidismus (pHPT).

In 56 postoperative patients with primary hyperparathyroidism we analysed retrospectively whether a single-sided or minimal invasive operative procedure could have been utilized. Additionally the sensitivity of (99m)TC-Sestamibiscintiscanning and ultrasound of the neck region was assessed. Single gland disease was found in 49 patients, 6 patients had primary multiglandular disease and one patient revealed a double adenoma. The overall sensitivity of (99m)TC-Sestamibiscintiscanning and ultrasound was found to be 78 % and 53 % respectively. In 46 patients the operation would have been started minimal invasive, in 7 of these patients a conversion to bilateral exploration would have been necessary because of four gland hyperplasia, double adenoma or misleading preoperative localisation. In 39 patients a successful minimal invasive procedure would have been possible. A primary bilateral exploration would have been necessary in 10 patients because of either coexisting goiter or questionable localisation of the pathological altered gland. Since sensitivity of localisation diagnostics is low with regard to multiglandular disease, parathyroid hormone should be monitored intraoperatively whenever minimal invasive operative procedures are performed.

[Multivariate analysis of factors influencing the effect of radiosynovectomy]. / Multivariate Analyse der Einflussfaktoren auf die Wirkung der Radiosynoviorthese bei entzündlichen Gelenkerkrankungen.

OBJECTIVE: In this prospective study, the time to remission after Radiosynovectomy (RSV) was analyzed and the influence of age, sex, underlying disease, type of joint, and duration of illness on the success rate of RSV was determined. METHODS: A total number of 57 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 33) and arthrosis (n = 21) with a total number of 130 treated joints (36 knee, 66 small and 28 medium-size joints) were monitored using visual analogue scales (VAS) from one week before RSV up to four to six months after RSV. The patients had to answer 3 times daily for pain intensity of the treated joint. The time until remission was determined according to the Kaplan-Meier survivorship function. The influence of the prognosis parameters on outcome of RSV was determined by multivariate discriminant analysis. RESULTS: After six months, the probability of pain relief of more than 20% amounted to 78% and was significantly dependent on the age of the patient (p = 0.02) and the duration of illness (p = 0.05), however not on sex (p = 0.17), underlying disease (p = 0.23), and type of joint (p = 0.69). CONCLUSION: Irrespective of sex, type of joint and underlying disease, a measurable pain relief can be achieved with RSV in 78% of the patients with synovitis, whereby effectiveness is decreasing with increasing age and progress of illness.

[Incidence of familial non-medullary thyroid carcinoma in the patient register of the Clinic and Polyclinic of Nuclear Medicine, University of Würzburg]. / Häufigkeit des familiären nicht-medullären Schilddrüsenkarzinoms im Krankengut der Klinik und Poliklinik für Nuklearmedizin der Universität Würzburg.

AIM: In this study the incidence rate of familial non-medullary thyroid carcinoma was investigated in the first and second grade relatives of patients registered at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Nuclear Medicine, University of Würzburg. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study 596 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were enclosed, who were treated between 01.01.81 and 31.12.95. The data concerning a familial occurrence were studied by a retrospective survey-based analysis. These data were compared to a literature analysis for familial non-medullary thyroid carcinoma. RESULTS: 14 patients of the 596 patients treated showed a familial occurrence (2.3%). All these patients suffered from papillary thyroid carcinoma. According to the prognostic factors (tumor state, lymph node involvement, metastatic disease) no differences could be evaluated in the different groups (sporadic versus familial non-medullary thyroid disease). CONCLUSION: A familial occurrence of differentiated thyroid carcinomas is not frequently observed, but should be considered due to further genetic diseases.

Pancreastatin--a mediator in the islet-acinar axis?

Pancreastatin was isolated from porcine pancreas in 1986 and has been shown to inhibit insulin release and exocrine pancreatic secretion in vivo. In the isolated perfused rat pancreas, we investigated its effect on the exocrine pancreas and evaluated its indirect effects mediated via the islet-acinar axis. In the presence of 16.7 mmol/L glucose, 20 pmol/L, 200 pmol/L, and 2 nmol/L pancreastatin reduced insulin release but did not affect exocrine pancreatic secretion stimulated by cholecystokinin (CCK), secretin, or bombesin. Pancreastatin also failed to affect unstimulated exocrine pancreatic secretion. In the presence of 1.7 mmol/L glucose, 200 pmol/L and 2 nmol/L pancreastatin inhibited glucagon release and potentiated CCK-stimulated exocrine pancreatic secretion. Inhibition of glucagon release and augmentation of exocrine pancreatic secretion may be independent phenomena, but they could be linked by the islet-acinar axis. Thus we speculate that a pancreastatin-induced inhibition of glucagon release may indirectly have caused augmentation of exocrine pancreatic secretion.

[Effect of pancreastatin on insulin secretion and the exocrine pancreas in rats]. / Wirkung von Pankreastatin auf die Insulinsekretion und das exokrine Pankreas der Ratte.

Pancreastatin, a 49-amino-acid C-terminal amidated peptide, was isolated from porcine pancreas in 1986. It has been reported to inhibit insulin release and exocrine pancreatic secretion, but both these effects have been disputed. In the isolated perfused rat pancreas we therefore studied the effect of pancreastatin on insulin and exocrine pancreatic secretion. Neither basal exocrine pancreatic secretion, nor exocrine secretion stimulated by CCK-8, bombesin or secretin were affected by pancreastatin. 20 or 200 pM pancreastatin, however, significantly inhibited stimulated insulin release. We conclude that pancreastatin seems to be yet another inhibitory peptide, which--for unknown reasons--inhibits insulin release both in vivo and in vitro, but exocrine pancreatic secretion only in vivo.