Early prediction of symptomatic hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy.

BACKGROUND: Hypocalcemia is the most common postoperative complication after total thyroidectomy. The aim of this prospective study was to determine biochemical parameters in the early postoperative period that could identify patients with significantly increased risk of symptomatic hypocalcemia development. METHODS: The study included 100 individuals undergoing total thyroidectomy from January to May 2009. In all patients PTH, calcium, inorganic phosphate, magnesium, and albumin levels were measured immediately preoperatively, 30 minutes postoperatively and every morning for the following five days. RESULTS: Clinically significant hypocalcemia was observed in 19% of all cases. Fall of the iPTH values by more than 88% from preoperative values, 30 min after completion of the surgery, showed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for the occurrence of symptomatic hypocalcemia. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results immediate postoperative measurement of the iPTH may be considered as a useful method to predict with high certainty which patients will need calcium supplementation, and to separate them from patients who can be safely and early discharged.

Catheter-associated and nosocomial urinary tract infections: antibiotic resistance and influence on commonly used antimicrobial therapy.

The objective is to evaluate resistance between community-acquired urinary tract infections (CAUTI), nosocomialy-acquired urinary tract infections (NAUTI), and empirical therapy adequacy. E. coli is the predominant pathogen of both CAUTI and NAUTI, followed by Klebsiella spp. in NAUTI and Pseudomonas spp. in catheter-associated urinary tract infections. The highest level of general resistance was found among isolates of NAUTI and catheter-associated UTI followed by CAUTI isolates. Absolute or high level resistance for commonly used empirical antimicrobial therapy was found in catheter-associated UTI and NAUTI while resistance among CAUTI was respectable. Patients with NAUTI as well as patients with catheter-associated urinary tract infections have similar resistance and similar microorganisms isolated as a causative agents, and should not be empirically treated unless the clinical emergency requests.

Unbalanced 18q/21q translocation in a patient previously reported as monosomy 21.

We describe a patient in whom full monosomy 21 was initially assumed from routine GTG-banded karyotyping. Re-examination with chromosome painting demonstrated an unbalanced translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 18 and 21. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and microsatellite marker analysis revealed partial monosomy of chromosome 21 (pter-q21) and 18(q22-qter). The patient, 18 years old at the second examination, revealed multiple dysmorphic features, genital hypoplasia, dilated cerebral ventricles, muscular hypotonia and severe mental retardation. In not one out of all patients investigated postnatally in whom an initial examination had revealed monosomy 21, this could be confirmed by FISH; in all of them, re-examination detected an unbalanced rearrangement leading to only partial monosomy 21 plus partial monosomy of another chromosome to which the distal 21q segment was attached. Thus, it is still highly likely that full monosomy 21 is incompatible with intra-uterine survival.

[Overview of the history of thyroid surgery]. / Pregled istorijata hirurgije stitaste zlezde.

Thyroid gland surgery passed through history from the suggestions for prohibition, during middle of XIX century due to unacceptable mortality even for medieval condition, to highest vel of surgical laser, as W. Halsted sad. First thyroidectomy was done by Albucasis (El Zahrawi) in 925 a.d. and after him by Roger from Salerno. While Pierre-Joseph Dusalt in 1791 has done first operation on thyroid gland than can fulfill todays criteria, Teodor Billroth gave scientific grounds of thyroid surgery. Genius attitude and surgical talent of Theodor Kocher raised thyroid surgery o scientific level, brought surgical skills on the top of surgical art pyramid, and brought him personally to the Nobel Prize in 1909. Every important contribution to development of thyroid surgery gave its giants: Johann von Mikulic, William Halsted, Charles Mayo, George W. Crile and Rank Lahey. Thomas P. Dunhill, F.A. Coller, A.M. Boydena and many others did important contribution, too. Development of thyroid srugery was constant to nowadays, with tendention for multidisciplinary approach in specialized centres. Thyroid surgery in Serbia followed this world trends, in spite of treat problems in the area during history.

[Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid in intrathoracic goiter]. / Papilarni tireoidni karcinom u intratoraksnoj strumi.

Intrathoracic goiter (more than 80% of tissue in the thoracic cavity) represents very rare clinical entity (less than 1% of total number of thyroid gland surgical procedures). Cancer incidence in these goiter is 0-5%. The aim of this article is to present a case report of intrathoracic thyroid papillary carcinoma with multiple compressive syndrome and review of compressive intrathoracic syndrome of thyroid etiology. In our patient we have found: tracheal and oesophageal deviation and compression, superior vena cava syndrome, downhill varices, chylothorax, pericardial effusion, compress of the left a. subclavia, unilateral lesion of recurrent and phrenic nerve, and brachial plexopathy. This was a unique case with multiple compressive syndrome between 3000 patients surgically treated for all kinds of thyroid diseases. Intrathoracic goiter can cause all the known symptoms and syndromes of intrathoracic compression with possibility of rapid deterioration and fatal end.

[Papillary microcarcinoma of the thyroid and secondary hyperparathyroidism in a patient on hemodialysis]. / Papilarni mikrokarcinom stitaste zlezde i sekundarni hiperparatireoidizam kod bolesnika na hemodijalizi.

Association between non-medullary thyroid carcinoma and secondary hyperparathyroidism have been rarely reported in patients with renal failure. A few cases of micropapillary thyroid carcinoma have been reported in patients before and after renal transplantation. We present a case of incidental detection of thyroid carcinoma at the time of parathyroidectomy in patient on dialysis after cadaver renal transplantation.

[Early complications in surgical treatment of thyroid diseases: analysis of 2100 patients]. / Rane komplikacije operativnog lecenja oboljenja stitaste zlezde: analiza 2100 bolesnika.

Thyroid gland surgery today is not saddled with high incidence of main complications. Miscellaneous surgical institutions with different surgical approach, operative technique and radicality have published reports with great discrepancy in incidence of complications, analyzing them with different methods of diagnosis and result evaluation. In the same way it is well known that higher latitude of operative procedure gave better control of thyroid diseases, but it can be accompanied with more complications. All of that motivate us to analyze complications of operative treatment in our patients under well known criteria, with hypothesis that higher radicality of operative procedure do not increase incidence of complications, and that this incidence is in correlations with results published in world literature. Aim of this nonrandomized study was to analyze results of operative treatment for huge number of consecutively operated patients in our teaching hospital, to analyze and compare results according to group of diseases and operative procedures, and to compare final results with results published in the world literature. Complications of operative treatment were analyzed retrospectively for period 1988-1997 (Group I) and prospectively in period 1998-2002 (Group II). Operations were performed by 20 surgeons and 20 young surgeons during their education. We have analyzed only complications during first 30 days after operation. In Group I there was 1425 patients with 1451 operations (192 thyroid malignancies, 247 hyperthyreosis, 98 reoperations, 13% thyroidectomies and 14.8% lobectomies), with complication rate of 14.3%. Most common complication was recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in 9.3% patients or 6.3% according to number of exposed nerves (nerve at risk), then postoperative hypocalcemia with rate of 4.7% (persistent in 1.3%). In Group II in 675 patients there was 687 operations (96 thyroid malignancies, 111 hyperthyreosis, 35 reoperations, 36.6% thyreoidectomies and 25% lobectomies), with complication rate of 10.7%. Most common postoperative complication was hypocalcemia with 5% rate (persistent in 0.7%), then recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in 4.4% patients or 2.9% according to number of exposed nerves. Incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in Group II is less frequent than in Group I, highly statistically significant (p < 0.01), while for other complications there is no statistically significant difference. Totally for both groups there was 0.7% tracheotomies, postoperative bleeding in 1.1% of patients, wound hemathoma in 0.5%. wound infections in 0.9%, pneumonia in 0.5%, mortality 0.5% and most common cause of death (8/11) was problem with respiration, Airway obstruction. In Group II complications were less frequent in total thyroidectomies in relation to lobectomy with contra lateral subtotal lobectomy. In both groups and totally incidence of complications was higher in reoperations, in patients with more extensive operative procedure, in malignant diseases and hyperthyreosis. In thyroid gland surgery more extensive operative treatment with improved operative technique (micro dissection, recurrent laryngeal nerve visualization and parathyroid gland preservation), in our teaching hospital, do not have influence on incidence of postoperative complications, even recurrent laryngeal nerve injury was significantly less frequent. This results are in correlation with published results of similar hospitals around the world.

Intrathoracic goiter: analysis of 21 cases.

UNLABELLED: Goiters are classified into: the cervical, retrosternal, substernal and intrathoracic. The aim of research is to analysis of intrathoracic goiters (ITG) which include goiters with more than 80% of tissue in the thoracic cavity and intrathoracic thyroid choristomas. METHODS: In prospective non-randomized study were analyzed 21 consecutive patients operated on for intrathoracic non-toxic benign goiters from 1987-98. Fourteen patients with intrathoracic goiters (more than 80% of tissue in the thoracic cavity) and seven patients with intratoracic choristomas were operated. Two groups of ITG were observed according to the expressed symptomatology and surgical approach and complications of operative treatment were compared to the complications of operative treatment of 986 non-ITG non-toxic benign goiters. RESULTS: ITG represented 1.1% of the whole number of operatively treated thyroid diseases. One third of patients were asymptomatic. Commonly observed symptoms were dispnea, stridor and dysphagia and there was no significant difference in appearance of these symptoms between the two groups of ITG. In 19% of patients correct preoperative diagnosis wasn't assessed. Cervical approach with sternothomy was used in 11 patients, cervical approach with right thoracotomy in seven, right thoracotomy only in two, and cervical approach only in one patient. Thoracic approach was used in 95% of cases and there was no significant difference between the two groups of ITG. Concerning the operative complications, in two patients transient vocal cord paresis and in one patient postoperative bleeding were verified. There was no statistically significant deference in frequency of operative complications between ITG and non-ITG. CONCLUSIONS: ITG are rare, but might present a difficult diagnostic and complex surgical problem. Common clinical presentation and identical surgical approach in operative treatment justify the common review of the two groups of intrathoracic goiters. With adequate and timely performed surgical approach, in specialized institutions, frequency of complications in operative treatment of ITG is not higher if compared to operative treatment of non-ITG.

[Cystic mesothelioma of the greater omentum]. / Cisticni mezoteliom velikog omentuma.

Peritoneal cystic mesothelioma is very rare clinical entity, and only a few cases situated on the greater omentum are described. The authors here presented two cases of the greater omentum cystic mesothelioma that were diagnosed in 260,000 adult patients hospitalized for the first time, during the fifteen year period. Cystic tumor of 30 cm in diameter was found in a 78 years old male patient, and the second one was 35 cm in diameter in female patient 56 years old. Symptomatology was not characteristic. Peritoneal pseudocyst or parasitic, lymphogen, urogenital, enteric or dermoid cyst origin was preoperatively excluded, and correct diagnosis was established upon the operative findings and immuno-histochemical investigations. In both cases keratin and vimentin were clearly positive in tumor cells, but other markers were negative (EMA, Actin, S-100, NSE, chromogranin and sinoptophysin). Cystic mesothelioma was not infiltrative and surgical treatment was simple and successful.

[Adhesive ileus caused by a peritoneal reaction to starch]. / Adhezivnih ileus izazvan reakcijom peritoneuma na skrob.

Peritoneal reaction caused by glove powder is not so rare in surgical practice. We have presented a case report of a patient who was operated on due to the adhesive bowel obstruction, two years after the total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Changes found on the peritoneal surface were similar to carcinomatous dissemination, but intraoperative frozen section analysis showed granulomatous lesions caused by foreign bodies. Nature of these changes was confirmed by PAS smear and polarization microscopy. Clarification of the peritoneal changes during relaparotomy is possible only with careful microscopic analysis of these granulomas.

Transient neonatal diabetes mellitus in a child with paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 6.

We report a male infant with transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM; MIM 601410), macroglossia, hypertelorism, umbilical hernia, inguinoscrotal hernia and onychomycosis. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed 10 days after birth and resolved after 6.5 months of treatment. Genetic investigation indicated the presence of paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 6 (UPD 6). The finding of paternal UPD 6 allows prediction of a transient, rather than permanent NDM, and no increased recurrence risk of TNDM in subsequent pregnancies. Therefore, finding of NDM should be a strong indicator for genetic testing.

[Total intravenous anesthesia using remifentanil and propofol with midazolam co-induction in laparoscopic surgery of the gallbladder]. / TIVA remifentanilom i propofolom uz koindukciju midazolamom za laparoskopske operacije zucne kese.

We investigated effects of total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and remifentanil (in two parallel continuous infusions), on 28 ASA I-II patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. All patients received midazolame (0.05 mg/kg b.w.), and 90 sec thereafter, remifentanil (0.5 g/kg b.w.). Computer controlled intravenous infusion of propofol started at dose of 6 mg/kg/h (by Graseby 3400 Syringe Pump). Muscle relaxation was achieved by rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg b.w.). After endotracheal intubation, rate of propofol was decreased on 3 mg/kg/h and started with another infusion of remifentanil (0.5 ug/kg/min). Before (T0) and after induction (T1), after start of surgery (T2), and at the end of surgery (T3), we evaluated: systolic, diastolic, and medial arterial blood pressure (SAP, DAP, MAP), heart rate (HR), peripheral saturation of O2 (O2Sat), and capnometry (ETCO2), by Datex-Engstrome AS/3 Monitore. It was followed side effects of anaesthesia, early and complete recovery rate, and frequency of nausea and vomiting in postoperative period. Results showed haemodynamic stability of patients after induction in anaesthesia (defined as decreasing of MAP 20%, compared with preinduction values). During investigation (T0-T3), results of 0.2Sat and ETCO2 were excellent (0.60 +/- 2 and 5.1 +/- 2.4 min). There wasonly one case of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and no significant side effects of anaesthesia. TIVA remifentanil-propofol and co-induction with midazolame makes possible haemodynamic stability of patients after induction in anaesthesia, good oxygenation during surgery, fast early and complete recovery, and avoiding of side effects of anaesthesia and postoperative nausea and vomiting. We concluded that it is a good choice of anaesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

[Mesothelial cyst and cystic mesothelioma of the greater omentum:case report and literature review]. / Mezotelna cista i cisticni mezoteliom velikog omentuma: prikaz slucaja i pregled literature.

Mesothelial cysts and cystic mesotheliomas of the greater omentum are very rare clinical entities. About 30 cases of mesothelial cysts and only 4 cases of cystic mesotheliomas were described in the world literature so far. Over 13 years period (1987-2000), between 15,000 laparotomised adult patients, we have diagnosed one case of mesothelial cyst and one of cystic mesothelioma only. Mesothelial cyst, 7 cm in diameter, covered by regular mesothelial cells, was found accidently during gaster cancer surgery. In a 78 years old man, 30 cm in diameter cystic mesothelioma was diagnosed with immunohistochemical studies, necessarily for differentiation between cystic mesothelioma and other peritoneal cysts. Due to possible aggressive course at the diseases and tendency to recurrency, a complete surgical excision and log term follow-up are necessary.

[Intrathoracic goiter]. / Intratoraksne strume.

AIM: A goiter, situated partly or on completely in the thoracic cavity is usually referred to as intrathoracic goiter (ITG). However, inadequate definition of intrathoracic malpositions of thyroid gland caused usage of different classifications. This produced different and, often unclear criteria for the grouping of intrathoracic thyroid malpositions and, consequently, very different results and difficulties in any attempt of parallel review or analysis. The aim of this research was to analyze the ITG that include goiters with more than 80% of tissue in the thoracic cavity and intrathoracic thyroid choristomas, and to point out the diagnostic problems and surgical dilemmas. METHODS: Source of the used data were the studies published in the last 50 years in English, French, Italian, German and Russian language. Data have been integrated and combined for the detailed analysis, while quantitative synthesis was achieved by statistical analysis. RESULTS: ITG was represented in 1% of operatively treated thyroid diseases. One third of patients were asymptomatic. Commonly observed symptoms were dyspnea, stridor and dysphagia, and there was no significant difference in appearance of these symptoms between the two groups of ITG. Chest roentgenography and CT scan could provide the maximal information with no need for expensive procedures. Accuracy of scintigraphy in revealing and discerning of ITG is 70%, averagely. In 20% of patients correct preoperative diagnosis was not established. Therapy of choice in the treatment of ITG was surgical, even in asymptomatic cases. Thoracic approach was used in 95% of cases and there was no significant difference between the two groups of ITG. Total thyroidectomy or total lobectomy was definitely obligatory with contralateral subtotal lobectomy. There was no significant difference in the frequency of operative complications between ITG and non-ITG, and between the two groups of ITG. CONCLUSIONS: ITG is rare, but might present a difficult diagnostic and complex surgical problem. Common clinical presentation and identical surgical approach in operative treatment justify the common review of the two groups of ITG. With timely and adequately performed surgical approach, in specialized institutions, frequency of complications in operative treatment of ITG was not higher if compared to operative treatment of non-ITG.