Post-bariatric hypoglycaemia diagnosed during pregnancy.

Summary: There is a scarcity of literature relating to post-bariatric hypoglycaemia (PBH) in pregnancy. Recurrent hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia can have significant consequences for both the mother and the developing fetus. We describe a case of a young pregnant woman who was diagnosed with symptomatic PBH in the second trimester of pregnancy using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) 3 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Instigating a low glycaemic index and complex carbohydrate diet significantly improved the patient's glycaemic excursions. Given that this condition is likely underdiagnosed as a complication of RYGB surgery, a greater awareness of this complication is needed. Patients should be adequately consented pre-operatively for this relatively frequent late surgical complication to enable patients to identify symptoms of this condition at an early stage and seek medical treatment. Learning points: PBH is an important diagnosis in patients post-RYGB surgery, particularly in women of childbearing age when consequences of both hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia during pregnancy can adversely affect both mother and the fetus. Adverse outcomes of recurrent hypoglycaemia to the fetus can include small for gestational age, intrauterine growth restriction and possible impairment of beta cell function. Providing adequate carbohydrate intake to allow growth of the fetus during pregnancy while also attempting to resolve both hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia associated with PBH by reducing the intake of simple carbohydrates and high glycaemic index foods can prove challenging. Patients should be adequately consented for late complications of RYGB surgery such as PBH in order to allow early recognition of symptoms and enable prompt treatment.

Risk factors associated with diabetes after liver transplant

ABSTRACT Objective: Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common metabolic complication after liver transplant that negatively affects a recipient's survival and graft function. This study aims to identify risk factors associated with diabetes after liver transplant. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted from September to November 2019. Data collection was performed by chart review, and patients were divided into 3 groups: patients without diabetes mellitus (DM), patients with pre-transplant diabetes mellitus, and patients with PTDM. Results: Two hundred and forty-seven patients' medical charts were screened, and 207 patients were included: 107 without DM, 42 with pre-transplant DM, and 58 with PTDM. The leading cause for liver transplant was hepatitis C, followed by hepatocellular carcinoma secondary to alcohol. There was a higher exposure to tacrolimus in patients without DM ( P = 0.02) and to ciclosporin in patients with pre-transplant DM, compared to others ( P = 0.005). Microscopic interface inflammatory activity was more severe in patients without DM as well as those with PTDM ( P = 0.032). There was a higher prevalence of steatosis in recipients with pre-transplant DM than there was in others ( P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression identified the following independent risk factors for DM: cirrhosis due to alcohol, hepatitis C, and triglycerides. For PTDM, these independent risk factors were cirrhosis due to alcohol, hepatitis C, and prednisone exposure. Conclusion: Alcoholic cirrhosis is a risk factor for PTDM in liver recipients. Liver transplant recipients with a pre-transplant history of cirrhosis due to alcohol, hepatitis C, and prednisone exposure deserve more caution during PTDM screening.

Risk factors associated with diabetes after liver transplant.

Objective: Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common metabolic complication after liver transplant that negatively affects a recipient's survival and graft function. This study aims to identify risk factors associated with diabetes after liver transplant. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted from September to November 2019. Data collection was performed by chart review, and patients were divided into 3 groups: patients without diabetes mellitus (DM), patients with pre-transplant diabetes mellitus, and patients with PTDM. Results: Two hundred and forty-seven patients' medical charts were screened, and 207 patients were included: 107 without DM, 42 with pre-transplant DM, and 58 with PTDM. The leading cause for liver transplant was hepatitis C, followed by hepatocellular carcinoma secondary to alcohol. There was a higher exposure to tacrolimus in patients without DM (P = 0.02) and to ciclosporin in patients with pre-transplant DM, compared to others (P = 0.005). Microscopic interface inflammatory activity was more severe in patients without DM as well as those with PTDM (P = 0.032). There was a higher prevalence of steatosis in recipients with pre-transplant DM than there was in others (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression identified the following independent risk factors for DM: cirrhosis due to alcohol, hepatitis C, and triglycerides. For PTDM, these independent risk factors were cirrhosis due to alcohol, hepatitis C, and prednisone exposure. Conclusion: Alcoholic cirrhosis is a risk factor for PTDM in liver recipients. Liver transplant recipients with a pre-transplant history of cirrhosis due to alcohol, hepatitis C, and prednisone exposure deserve more caution during PTDM screening.

Usefulness of pre-thyroidectomy neutrophil-lymphocyte, platelet-lymphocyte, and monocyte-lymphocyte ratios for discriminating lymph node and distant metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the relationship of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) with clinicopathological characteristics of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). METHODS: This retrospective study included 390 patients with DTC who had complete blood cell counts available at the time of surgery. NLR, PLR, and MLR were calculated, and the risk of cancer-related death, structural recurrence, and response to therapy were assessed using the eighth edition of the tumor-node-metastasis classification, American Thyroid Association (ATA) Risk Stratification System, and ATA Response to Therapy Reclassification, respectively. RESULTS: PLR was higher in patients with distant metastasis than in those without (133.15±43.95 versus 119.24±45.69, p=0.0345) and lower in patients with disease-free status (117.72±44.70 versus 131.07±47.85, p=0.0089) than in those who experienced persistent disease or death. Patients aged ≥55 years had a higher MLR than those aged <55 years (0.26±0.10 versus 0.24±0.12, p=0.0379). Higher MLR (odds ratio [OR]: 8.775, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.532-50.273, p=0.0147), intermediate ATA risk (OR: 4.892, 95% CI: 2.492-9.605, p≤0.0001), and high ATA risk (OR: 5.998, 95% CI: 3.126-11.505, p≤0.0001) were risk factors associated with active disease. NLR was not significantly different among the studied variables. Receiver operating characteristic curve cut-off values for NLR, PLR, and MLR were able to differentiate distant metastasis from lymph node metastasis (NLR>1.93: 73.3% sensitivity and 58.7% specificity, PLR>124.34: 86.7% sensitivity and 69.2% specificity, MLR>0.21: 80% sensitivity and 45.2% specificity). CONCLUSION: Cut-off values of NLR, PLR, and MLR differentiated distant metastasis from lymph node metastasis with good sensitivity and accuracy. PLR was associated with disease-free status and it was higher in DTC patients with distant metastasis, persistent disease, and disease-related death. MLR was a risk factor for active disease.

Usefulness of pre-thyroidectomy neutrophil-lymphocyte, platelet-lymphocyte, and monocyte-lymphocyte ratios for discriminating lymph node and distant metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the relationship of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) with clinicopathological characteristics of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). METHODS: This retrospective study included 390 patients with DTC who had complete blood cell counts available at the time of surgery. NLR, PLR, and MLR were calculated, and the risk of cancer-related death, structural recurrence, and response to therapy were assessed using the eighth edition of the tumor-node-metastasis classification, American Thyroid Association (ATA) Risk Stratification System, and ATA Response to Therapy Reclassification, respectively. RESULTS: PLR was higher in patients with distant metastasis than in those without (133.15±43.95 versus 119.24±45.69, p=0.0345) and lower in patients with disease-free status (117.72±44.70 versus 131.07±47.85, p=0.0089) than in those who experienced persistent disease or death. Patients aged ≥55 years had a higher MLR than those aged <55 years (0.26±0.10 versus 0.24±0.12, p=0.0379). Higher MLR (odds ratio [OR]: 8.775, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.532-50.273, p=0.0147), intermediate ATA risk (OR: 4.892, 95% CI: 2.492-9.605, p≤0.0001), and high ATA risk (OR: 5.998, 95% CI: 3.126-11.505, p≤0.0001) were risk factors associated with active disease. NLR was not significantly different among the studied variables. Receiver operating characteristic curve cut-off values for NLR, PLR, and MLR were able to differentiate distant metastasis from lymph node metastasis (NLR>1.93: 73.3% sensitivity and 58.7% specificity, PLR>124.34: 86.7% sensitivity and 69.2% specificity, MLR>0.21: 80% sensitivity and 45.2% specificity). CONCLUSION: Cut-off values of NLR, PLR, and MLR differentiated distant metastasis from lymph node metastasis with good sensitivity and accuracy. PLR was associated with disease-free status and it was higher in DTC patients with distant metastasis, persistent disease, and disease-related death. MLR was a risk factor for active disease.

Fixed 30 mCi 131I-iodine therapy without recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulation as an attractive therapeutic alternative in nontoxic nodular goiter.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze outcomes of patients with compressive nontoxic multinodular goiter after 131I-iodine 30 mCi treatment without previous use of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone or methimazole. METHODS: We evaluated fixed-dose radioiodine therapy outcomes in patients with nontoxic multinodular goiter who did not accept thyroidectomy as a therapeutic option. Laboratory thyroid function and thyroid volume estimated by ultrasound were assessed before and one year after radioiodine therapy. RESULTS: Twenty euthyroid female patients received 30 mCi of 131I-iodine without recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone or methimazole pretreatment. Median thyroid volume and Tc-99m sodium pertechnetate thyroid uptake before radioiodine therapy were 68.05 cm (31.3-295.3) and 0.5% (0.1%-1.2%), respectively. One year after radioiodine therapy, thyroid volume decreased to 55.4 cm (19.8-149.9), and merely 4 patients (20%) developed hypothyroidism. Thyroid volume decreased significantly after radioiodine therapy, presenting a variation of -21.1 cm (-161.3 to -0.8) and -30.61% (-73.88 to -1.02), both with P < 0.0001. Thyroid volume variation was positively correlated with thyroid uptake in Spearman's correlation (r = 0.4730; P = 0.0352). The group satisfied with radioiodine therapy (85%, n = 17) showed a significant reduction in thyroid volume, -25.8 cm (-161.3 to -6.2) and -36.74% (-73.88 to -9.95). The dissatisfied group (15%, n = 3) showed -1.0 cm (-2.0 to -0.8) and -1.67% (-3.38 to -1.02) in thyroid volume, P = 0.0081. Patients that complained about dysphagia presented a lower percentage of thyroid volume decrease after radioiodine therapy, -21.97% (-70.12 to -1.02, P = 0.0430). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial reduction in thyroid volume associated with a low incidence of hypothyroidism and a high satisfaction rate support the use of conventional radioiodine therapy with a fixed dose of 30 mCi. This therapy is an attractive and cheaper therapeutic alternative in selected patients with nontoxic multinodular goiter.

Heterotaxy syndrome with agenesis of dorsal pancreas and diabetes mellitus: case report and review of the literature

SUMMARY Heterotaxy syndrome (HS) is a rare congenital condition with multifactorial heritance, characterized by an abnormal arrangement of thoraco-abdominal organs and vessels. Patients present with multiple cardiac, gastrointestinal, hepatosplenic, pancreatic, renal, neurological and skeletal disorders without any pathognomonic alteration. Despite the described increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients with altered pancreatic anatomy, just one case was reported in Korea regarding the association of HS and DM in a 13-year-old girl. Our report refers to a 40-year-old female Brazilian patient with a history of DM and HS with polysplenia and agenesis of dorsal pancreas without cardiac abnormalities. She presented a worsening glycemic control associated with weight gain and signs of insulin resistance. After a proper clinical management of insulin and oral medications, our patient developed an improvement in glycemic control. Although it is a rare disease, HS with polysplenia and pancreatic disorders can be associated with an increased risk of DM. This case highlights the importance of investigating DM in patients with HS, especially those with pancreatic anatomical disorders, for proper clinical management of this rare condition.