Prevalence of DICER1 variants in large multinodular goiter: thyroid function, clinical and imaging characteristics

ABSTRACT Objective: Mutations in DICER1 are found in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and in multinodular goiter (MNG) at a younger age with other tumors, which characterizes DICER1 syndrome. DICER1 is one driver to DTC; however, it is also found in benign nodules. We speculated that patients with mutations in DICER1 may present long-lasting MNG. Our aim was to investigate the frequency of DICER1 variants in patients with MNG. Subjects and methods: Patients who submitted to total thyroidectomy due to large MNG with symptoms were evaluated. DICER1 hotspots were sequenced from thyroid nodule samples. To confirm somatic mutation, DNA from peripheral blood was also analyzed. Results: Among 715 patients, 154 were evaluated with 56.2 ± 12.3 years old (28-79) and the thyroid volume was 115.7 ± 108 mL (16.2-730). We found 11% with six DICER1 variations in a homo or heterozygous state. Only rs12018992 was a somatic DICER1 variant. All remaining variants were synonymous and likely benign, according to the ClinVar database. The rs12018992 was previously described in an adolescent with DTC, measuring 13 mm. There were no significant differences according to gender, familial history of goiter, age, thyroid volume, TSH and TI-RADS classification between DICER1 carriers. Free T4 were lower in patients with DICER1 polymorphisms (13.77 ± 1.8 vs. 15.44 ± 2.4 pmol/L, p = 0.008), regardless of TSH levels. Conclusions: We conclude that germline DICER1 variants can be found in 11% of large goiters but no second-hit somatic mutation was found. DICER1 is one driver to thyroid lesion and a second-hit event seems unnecessary in the MNG development.

Diagnostic value of a computer-assisted diagnosis system for the ultrasound features in thyroid nodules

ABSTRACT Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of the TUIAS (SW_TH01/II) computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) software system for the ultrasound Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) features in thyroid nodules. Materials and methods: This retrospective study enrolled patients with thyroid nodules in Shanghai East Hospital between January 2017 and October 2021. The novel CAD software (SW_TH01/II) and three sonographers performed a qualitative analysis of the ultrasound TI-RADS features in aspect ratio, margin irregularity, margin smoothness, calcification, and echogenicity of the thyroid nodules. Results: A total of 225 patients were enrolled. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the CAD software in "aspect ratio" were 95.6%, 96.2%, and 95.4%, in "margin irregularity" were 90.7%, 90.5%, and 90.9%, in "margin smoothness" were 85.8%, 88.5%, and 83.0%, in "calcification" were 83.6%, 81.7%, and 82.0%, in "homogeneity" were 88.9%, 90.6%, and 82.2%, in "major echo" were 85.3%, 88.0%, and 85.4%, and in "contains very hypoechoic echo" were 92.0%, 90.0%, and 92.4%. The analysis time of the CAD software was significantly shorter than for the sonographers (2.7 ± 1.6 vs. 29.7 ± 12.7 s, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The CAD system achieved high accuracy in describing thyroid nodule features. It might assist in clinical thyroid nodule analysis.

High risk factors in images for infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as peripheral ground-glass nodules / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To explore the correlation between the imaging features of peripheral ground-glass pulmonary nodules and the invasion degree of lung adenocarcinoma, and the high risk factors for infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma under thin-slice CT, which provides some reference for clinicians to plan the surgical methods of pulmonary nodules before operation and to better communicate with patients, and assists in building a clinical predictive model for invasive adenocarcinoma. Methods    Clinical data of the patients with peripheral ground-glass pulmonary nodules (diameter≤3 cm) in thin-slice chest CT in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2019 to January 2020 were continuously collected. All patients underwent thin-slice CT scan and thoracoscopic surgery in our center. According to the pathological examination results, they were divided into two groups: an adenocarcinoma lesions before infiltration group, and an invasive lung adenocarcinoma group. The thin-slice CT imaging parameters of pulmonary nodules were collected. The nodular diameter, mean CT value, consolidation tumor ratio (CTR), nodular shape, vacuolar sign, bronchial air sign, lobulation sign, burr sign, lesion boundary, pleural depression sign, vascular cluster sign and other clinical data were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to analyze the independent risk factors for the infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma, and to analyze the threshold value and efficacy of each factor for the identification of infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma. Results     Finally 190 patients were enrolled. There were 110 patients in the adenocarcinoma lesions before infiltration group, including 21 males and 89 females with a mean age of 53.57±10.90 years, and 80 patients in the invasive lung adenocarcinoma group, including 31 males and 49 females with a mean age of 56.45±11.30 years. There was a statistical difference in the mean CT value, nodular diameter, CTR, gender, smoking, nodular type, nodular shape, vacuolar sign, lobulation sign, burr sign, lesion boundary, pleural depression sign, vascular cluster sign between the two groups (P<0.05). However, there was no statistical difference between the two groups in age (P=0.081), lesion site (P=0.675), and bronchial air sign (P=0.051). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that nodular diameter, mean CT value, CTR and lobulation sign were independent risk factors for differentiating preinvasive adenocarcinoma from invasive adenocarcinoma. At the same time, the threshold value was calculated by Youden index, indicating that the CTR was 0.45, the nodal diameter was 10.5 mm and the mean CT value was –452 Hu. Conclusion     In the peripheral ground-glass pulmonary nodules, according to the patient's CT imaging features, such as mixed ground-glass nodules, irregular shapes, vacuoles, short burrs, clear boundaries, pleural indentations, and vascular clusters, have a certain reference value in the discrimination of the invasion degree of ground-glass pulmonary nodules. At the same time, it is found in this research that peripheral ground-glass pulmonary nodules with diameter greater than 10.5 mm, CT value greater than –452 Hu, CTR greater than 0.45 and lobulation sign are more likely to be infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma.

Analysis of intraoperative frozen section diagnosis of 1 263 pulmonary nodules / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore the key points and difficulties of intraoperative frozen section diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. Methods    The intraoperative frozen section and postoperative paraffin section results of pulmonary nodule patients in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2021 to January 2022 were collected. The main causes of misdiagnosis in frozen section diagnosis were analyzed, and the main points of diagnosis and differential diagnosis were summarized. Results    According to the inclusion criteria, a total of 1 263 frozen section diagnosis results of 1 178 patients were included in the study, including 475 males and 703 females, with an average age of 58.7 (23-86) years. In 1 263 frozen section diagnosis results, the correct diagnosis rate was 95.65%, and the misdiagnosis rate was 4.35%. There were 55 misdiagnoses, including 18 (3.44%) invasive adenocarcinoma, 17 (5.82%) adenocarcinoma in situ, 7 (35.00%) mucinous adenocarcinoma, 4 (2.09%) minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, 3 (100.00%) IgG4 related diseases, 2 (66.67%) mucinous adenocarcinoma in situ, 1 (16.67%) atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, 1 (14.29%) sclerosing pulmonary cell tumor, 1 (33.33%) bronchiolar adenoma, and 1 (100.00%) papillary adenoma. Conclusion    Intraoperative frozen section diagnosis still has its limitations. Clinicians need to make a comprehensive judgment based on imaging examination and clinical experience.

Construction of a Three-dimensional Syndrome Differentiation System for Pulmonary Nodules under the Perspective of Qi， Blood and Fluids / 中医杂志

Based on the theory of qi， blood and fluids， and taking into account of the pathogenesis evolution process from constraint to phlegm， stasis and then mass in pulmonary nodules， an attempt has been made to construct a three-dimensional differentiation system for pulmonary nodules from the dimensions of time and space. The temporal progression of the early， middle， and late stages of pulmonary nodules reflects the pathological changes from constraint to phlegm and then stasis in the metabolism disorders of qi， blood and fluid. The spatial structures such as size， density， and morphology of pulmonary nodules reflect the pathological states of the duration， severity， and primary and secondary conditions of qi， blood and fluid metabolism disorders. Based on the temporal progression， the therapeutic principles have been proposed， which are dispelling pathogenic factors and promoting the use of beneficial factors to interrupt the growth momentum in the early stage， removing turbidity and dispersing phlegm to reduce the degree of nodules in the middle stage， and dispersing nodulation and eliminating abnormalities in the late stage. Based on the spatial structures， the suggested therapeutic methods are using wind herbs， employing multiple approaches to treat phlegm， and promoting blood circulation to resolve stasis， so as to provide theoretical reference for the systematic diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary nodules in traditional Chinese medicine.

The Prevention and Treatment of Pulmonary Nodules “Nodule-cancer Transformation” Based on the View of “Disease with Latent Pathogen Induced by a New Pathogen” / 中医杂志

As one of the pathogenic mechanisms contained in The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor （《黄帝内经》）， “disease with latent pathogen induced by a new pathogen” means that the induced new pathogen resulted to a combination of the latent previous pathogen and the new pathogen， which caused the disease. Based on this， it is believed that the change of “nodule-cancer transformation” of pulmonary nodules is actually based on the deficiency of original qi， and the new pathogen induces the latent pathogens like phlegm coagulation， qi stagnation， blood stasis， toxicity， so healthy qi can not drive the pathogens out， and the long-time detention generated into cancerous turbidity， and deve-loped into cancerous tumour at the end. Therefore， based on the three-stage treatment of unformed cancer， dense cancerous toxin， and developed cancer， the clinical practice applied six methods of clearing， expelling， dissipating， tonifying， harmonizing， and transforming， taking into account both the manifestation and root cause， moving the treatment window of pulmonary nodules forward， attacking the pathogens when the toxin was not yet overbearing， supporting the healthy qi before declining， delaying the process of nodules-cancer transformation， and providing ideas for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary nodules “nodule-cancer transformation” in traditional Chinese medicine.

Expert Consensus on Whole-process Management of Pulmonary Nodules with Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

At present， there is no consensus on the diagnosis， treatment， and management of pulmonary nodules with integrated traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in China. To establish the clinical management strategy of pulmonary nodules with integrated medicine， a consensus was formed after full discussion by the experts from the Cancer Committee of Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine and the Cancer Committee of Beijing Association of Chinese Medicine according to the guidelines for pulmonary nodules issued in recent years and the clinical practice of multiple hospitals in the treatment of cancers with integrated Chinese and Western medicine. This consensus involves the existing clinical management guidelines of pulmonary nodules and the intervention methods of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Considering the therapeutic positioning and value of TCM， this consensus standardizes the whole-process management of pulmonary nodules with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine， which will help more patients.

Experiencia en cirugía de tiroides en el Hospital Oncológico Conrado Benítez de Santiago de Cuba

Introducción: Los nódulos de tiroides son un problema clínico común. La tiroidectomía es una de las técnicas más realizadas en los servicios de cabeza y cuello y constituye un tratamiento con intención curativa en el cáncer de tiroides y afecciones benignas como el bocio nodular y el adenoma. Objetivo: Describir la experiencia en cirugía de tiroides del servicio de cabeza y cuello en el Hospital Oncológico Conrado Benítez. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, longitudinal y prospectivo de los pacientes que recibieron algún tratamiento quirúrgico por enfermedad tiroidea en el período comprendido entre el 1 de septiembre de 2017 y el 31 de agosto de 2022. Resultados: El 87 % de los pacientes eran mujeres, con una edad media de 47,1 años. A todos se les realizó ecografía y biopsia por aspiración con aguja fina con una estrecha concordancia con el diagnóstico definitivo. Predominó el carcinoma papilar (39,5 %), la tiroidectomía total como técnica más empleada (86,5 %) y el 94,6 % de los pacientes no tuvo complicaciones. La lesión recurrencial solo estuvo presente en el 1,1 % de los casos. Conclusiones: La experiencia en tiroidectomía en el Hospital Oncológico Conrado Benítez es buena, con una concordancia entre medios diagnósticos y biopsia definitiva, tiempo quirúrgico adecuado y pocas complicaciones.

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are a common clinical problem. Thyroidectomy is one of the most performed techniques in head and neck surgery services, as well a treatment with curative intent for thyroid cancer and benign conditions such as nodular goiter and adenoma. Objective: To describe the experience in thyroid surgery at the head and neck surgery service from Hospital Oncológico Conrado Benítez. Methods: A descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study was carried out with patients who received any surgical treatment for thyroid disease in the period from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2022. Results: 87 % of patients were female, with a mean age of 47.1 years. All of them underwent ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy, presenting a close concordance with their definitive diagnosis. Papillary carcinoma predominated (39.5 %), total thyroidectomy was the most commonly used technique (86.5 %) and 94.6 % of patients had no complications. Any recurrent lesion was present in only 1.1 % of cases. Conclusions: The thyroidectomy experience at Hospital Oncológico Conrado Benítez is good, based on the concordance between diagnostic means and definitive biopsy, as well as adequate surgical time and few complications.

Profile of thyroidectomies in Brazil from 2010 to 2020 from a macro-regional perspective

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the distribution profile of thyroidectomies in Brazil from 2010 to 2020 from a macro-regional perspective. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective, detailed and descriptive study built on secondary data obtained from the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH/SUS). We organized the data in tables and grouped them according to the federative unit, macro-region, type of procedure, mortality rate, and year of performance. We performed statistical analysis using the χ2 test to assess the association between the variables, observing a P value of < 0.05 and a confidence interval of 95%. Results: From 2010 to 2020, 160 219 thyroidectomy surgeries were performed, of which 77 812 (48.56%) were total, 38 064 (23.76%) partial and 41 191 (25.70%) oncological.The Southeast was responsible for the largest share of procedures, with 70 745 (44.15%), followed by the Northeast with 43 887 (27.39%). In 2020, the procedure was less performed, with 9226 (5.75%) surgeries. The total mortality rate was 0.16% during the study period. Conclusion: We found that thyroidectomies are carried out mainly in the Southeastern, Northeastern, and Southern regions, and showed a downward trend in 2020, which may be related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, total thyroidectomy is the most performed surgery, and the Northern region had the highest mortality rate.

Expresión atípica de enfermedad poco frecuente manifestada con nódulos pulmonares cavitados / Atypical Expression of Rare Disease Manifested with Cavitary Lung Nodules

Los nódulos pulmonares pueden ser variados: sólidos, en vidrio esmerilado; granulo matosos o no granulomatosos; cavitados o no cavitado. Son un hallazgo frecuente en las imágenes de tórax cuando el paciente llega a la consulta. Según sus características y en concordancia con los antecedentes del paciente (historia clínica, exámen físico y resultados de laboratorio) nos orienta a las distintas etiologías: infeccioso, autoinmune u oncológico. Sin embargo, muchas veces es un gran desafío clínico. Se presenta el caso de una paciente joven sin antecedentes que consulta por tos de 3 meses de evolución. En TC de tórax se evidencia masa mediastinal izquierda que desplaza tráquea y nódulos pulmonares bilaterales cavitados. Luego de descartarse etiologías más probables por frecuencia para su edad y forma de manifestación clínica, se arriba al diagnóstico de Linfoma de Hodgkin clásico Esclero Nodular con compromiso extranodal. Enfermedad poco frecuente y en nuestro caso, modo de presentación atípica.

Lung nodules can vary in nature: solid, ground glass, granulomatous or non-granulo matous, cavitary or non-cavitary. They are a common finding in chest imaging when the patient comes to the consultation. According to their characteristics and the patient's history (medical history, physical examination, and laboratory results), they guide us towards different etiologies: infectious, autoimmune, or oncological. However, many times it is a great clinical challenge. We present the case of a young patient with no previous medical history who came to the consultation with a cough of 3 months of evolution. The chest CT showed left mediastinal mass displacing the trachea and bilateral cavitary lung nodules. After ruling out more probable etiologies based on frequency for the patient's age and clinical manifestation, the diagnosis was: classic nodular sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma with extranodal in volvement. A very rare disease, and in our case, with an atypical form of presentation.

Laparoscopic evaluation of female genital tuberculosis in infertility: An observational study

Background & objectives: Female genital tuberculosis (FGTB) is an important variety of extrapulmonary TB causing significant morbidity, especially infertility, in developing countries like India. The aim of this study was to evaluate the laparoscopic findings of the FGTB. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on 374 cases of diagnostic laparoscopy performed on FGTB cases with infertility. All patients underwent history taking and clinical examination and endometrial sampling/biopsy for acid-fast bacilli, microscopy, culture, PCR, GeneXpert (only last 167 cases) and histopathological evidence of epithelioid granuloma. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed in all the cases to evaluate the findings of FGTB. Results: Mean age, parity, body mass index and duration of infertility were 27.5 yr, 0.29, 22.6 kg/m2 and 3.78 years, respectively. Primary infertility was found in 81 per cent and secondary infertility in 18.18 per cent of cases. Endometrial biopsy was positive for AFB microscopy in 4.8 per cent, culture in 6.4 per cent and epithelioid granuloma in 15.5 per cent. Positive peritoneal biopsy granuloma was seen in 5.88 per cent, PCR in 314 (83.95%) and GeneXpert in 31 (18.56%, out of last 167 cases) cases. Definite findings of FGTB were seen in 164 (43.86%) cases with beaded tubes (12.29%), tubercles (32.88%) and caseous nodules (14.96%). Probable findings of FGTB were seen in 210 (56.14%) cases with pelvic adhesions (23.52%), perihepatic adhesions (47.86%), shaggy areas (11.7%), pelvic adhesions (11.71%), encysted ascites (10.42%) and frozen pelvis in 3.7 per cent of cases. Interpretation & conclusions: The finding of this study suggests that laparoscopy is a useful modality to diagnose FGTB with a higher pickup rate of cases. Hence it should be included as a part of composite reference standard.

A rare presentation of Mycoplasma pneumoniae with splenic nodules

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen that can cause a wide spectrum of extrapulmonary manifestations with neurological manifestations being the most common. Here, we report a rare case of splenic nodules in a 7-year-old girl with M. pneumoniae infection which responded well to macrolides. M. pneumoniae infection should be considered in children with extrapulmonary manifestations including splenic lesions

Evaluation of respiratory bronchiolitis nodules with maximum intensity projection images

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Respiratory bronchiolitis is a disease associated with heavy smoking. Computed tomography in this disease often shows symmetrical and bilaterally ill-defined circumscribed centriacinar micronodular involvement in the upper-middle lobes. The maximum intensity projection method is a kind of image processing method and provides a better evaluation of nodules and vascular structures. Our study aimed to show whether maximum intensity projection images increase the diagnostic accuracy in the detection of micronodules in respiratory bronchiolitis. METHODS: Two radiologists with different experiences (first reader: 10-year radiologist with cardiothoracic radiology experience and second reader: nonspecific radiologist with 2 years of experience) reviewed images of patients whose respiratory bronchiolitis diagnosis was supported by clinical findings. The evaluation was done independently of each other. Both conventional computed tomography images and maximum intensity projection images of the same patients were examined. The detection rates on conventional computed tomography and maximum intensity projection images were then compared. RESULTS: A total of 53 patients were evaluated, of whom 48 were men and 5 were women. The first reader detected centriacinar nodules in 42 (79.2%) patients on conventional computed tomography and centriacinar nodules in all 53 (100%) patients on maximum intensity projection images. The second reader detected centriacinar nodules in 12 (22.6%) patients on conventional computed tomography images and in 48 (90.6%) patients on maximum intensity projection images. For the less experienced reader, the detection rate of micronodules in respiratory bronchiolitis in maximum intensity projection images increased statistically significantly (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Maximum intensity projection images in respiratory bronchiolitis increase the detectability of micronodules independently of the experience of the radiologist.

Detection of subsolid nodules on chest CT scans during the COVID-19 pandemic / Detecção de nódulos subsólidos na TC de tórax durante a pandemia de COVID-19

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the detection of subsolid nodules (SSNs) on chest CT scans of outpatients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to correlate the imaging findings with epidemiological data. We hypothesized that (pre)malignant nonsolid nodules were underdiagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic because of an overlap of imaging findings between SSNs and COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: This was a retrospective study including all chest CT scans performed in adult outpatients (> 18 years of age) in September of 2019 (i.e., before the COVID-19 pandemic) and in September of 2020 (i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic). The images were reviewed by a thoracic radiologist, and epidemiological data were collected from patient-filled questionnaires and clinical referrals. Regression models were used in order to control for confounding factors. Results: A total of 650 and 760 chest CT scans were reviewed for the 2019 and 2020 samples, respectively. SSNs were found in 10.6% of the patients in the 2019 sample and in 7.9% of those in the 2020 sample (p = 0.10). Multiple SSNs were found in 23 and 11 of the patients in the 2019 and 2020 samples, respectively. Women constituted the majority of the study population. The mean age was 62.8 ± 14.8 years in the 2019 sample and 59.5 ± 15.1 years in the 2020 sample (p < 0.01). COVID-19 accounted for 24% of all referrals for CT examination in 2020. Conclusions: Fewer SSNs were detected on chest CT scans of outpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic, although the difference was not significant. In addition to COVID-19, the major difference between the 2019 and 2020 samples was the younger age in the 2020 sample. We can assume that fewer SSNs will be detected in a population with a higher proportion of COVID-19 suspicion or diagnosis.

RESUMO Objetivo: Investigar a detecção de nódulos subsólidos na TC de tórax de pacientes ambulatoriais antes e durante a pandemia de COVID-19, bem como correlacionar os achados de imagem com dados epidemiológicos. Nossa hipótese foi a de que nódulos não sólidos (pré) malignos foram subdiagnosticados durante a pandemia de COVID-19 em virtude da sobreposição de achados de imagem de nódulos subsólidos e pneumonia por COVID-19. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo no qual foram incluídas todas as imagens de TC de tórax realizadas em pacientes ambulatoriais adultos (com idade > 18 anos) em setembro de 2019 (antes da pandemia de COVID-19) e em setembro de 2020 (durante a pandemia de COVID-19). As imagens foram reavaliadas por um radiologista torácico, e os dados epidemiológicos foram extraídos de questionários preenchidos pelos pacientes e de encaminhamentos clínicos. Modelos de regressão foram usados para controlar fatores de confusão. Resultados: Foram reavaliadas 650 e 760 imagens de TC de tórax nas amostras de 2019 e 2020, respectivamente. Foram encontrados nódulos subsólidos em 10,6% dos pacientes que compuseram a amostra de 2019 e em 7,9% daqueles que compuseram a amostra de 2020 (p = 0,10). Nódulos subsólidos múltiplos foram encontrados em 23 e 11 dos pacientes que compuseram as amostras de 2019 e 2020, respectivamente. As mulheres constituíram a maioria da população do estudo. A média de idade foi de 62,8 ± 14,8 anos na amostra de 2019 e de 59,5 ± 15,1 anos na amostra de 2020 (p < 0,01). A COVID-19 foi responsável por 24% de todos os encaminhamentos para a realização de TC em 2020. Conclusões: Foram detectados menos nódulos subsólidos na TC de tórax de pacientes ambulatoriais durante a pandemia de COVID-19 do que antes da pandemia, embora a diferença não tenha sido significativa. Além da COVID-19, a principal diferença entre as amostras de 2019 e 2020 foi o fato de que a amostra de 2020 era mais jovem. Podemos supor que menos nódulos subsólidos serão detectados numa população com maior proporção de suspeita ou diagnóstico de COVID-19.

Minimally invasive interventions for biopsy of malignancy-suspected pulmonary nodules: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Imaging tests are important for diagnosis during the management of pulmonary nodules; however, biopsy is required to confirm the malignancy. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of different techniques used for the biopsy of a pulmonary nodule. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using Cochrane methodology in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on minimally invasive techniques, including tomography-guided percutaneous biopsy (PERCUT), transbronchial biopsies with fluoroscopy (FLUOR), endobronchial ultrasound (EBUSR), and electromagnetic navigation (NAVIG). The primary outcomes were diagnostic yield, major adverse events, and need for another approach. RESULTS: Seven RCTs were included (913 participants; 39.2% female, mean age: 59.28 years). Little to no increase was observed in PERCUT over FLUOR (P = 0.84), PERCUT over EBUSR (P = 0.32), and EBUSR over NAVIG (P = 0.17), whereas a slight increase was observed in NAVIG over FLUOR (P = 0.17); however, the evidence was uncertain. EBUSR may increase the diagnostic yield over FLUOR (P = 0.34). PERCUT showed little to no increase in all bronchoscopic techniques, with uncertain evidence (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: No biopsy method is definitively superior to others. The preferred approach must consider availability, accessibility, and cost, as safety and diagnostic yield do not differ. Further RCTs planned, conducted, and reported with methodological rigor and transparency are needed, and additional studies should assess cost and the correlation between nodule size and location, as well as their association with biopsy results. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO database, CRD42018092367 -https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=92367.

Profil échographique des nodules thyroïdiens au centre hospitalouniversitaire de Bouaké (Cote d'ivoire) / Ultrasound Profile of thyroid spheres at the University Hospital of Bouaké (Côte d'Ivoire)

Introduction : l'échographie est l'examen de première intention dans l'exploration morphologique de la thyroïde. Elle constitue un excellent outil diagnostique et pronostique dans les thyropathies nodulaires. Objectif : déterminer le profil des nodules thyroïdiens à l'échographie selon la classification EU-TIRADS. Matériel et méthodes : étude transversale descriptive réalisée dans le service de radiologie du CHU de Bouaké durant une année. Nous avons inclus tous les comptes rendus d'échographie thyroïdienne des patients ayant des nodules thyroïdiens. Les données ont été analysées à l'aide du logiciel Epi Info 7. Résultats : Au total, 60 patients présentaient des nodules sur 97 reçus pour thyropathies soit 60,8%. L'âge moyen était de 45,6 ans [13-82 ans]. Legenre féminin prédominait avec 82,7%. La tuméfaction cervicale antérieure était la principale indication dans 72%. Le volume thyroïdien était augmenté chez 63%des patients avec un volume moyen de 71 cm3. Il s'agissait de nodule solitaire dans 46,55%. Les nodules spongiformes prédominaient dans 32%. Les nodules étaient solides dans 29,8% et mixtes dans 16,5.%. L'hypo-échogénicité était retrouvée dans 44,8% des cas de nodules solides. Les lésions étaient classées EU-TIRADS 2 dans 58,8%, EU-TIRADS 3 dans 23,5%, EU-TIRADS 4 dans 14,7% et EU-TIRADS 5 dans 2,9%. Conclusion : la caractérisation et la classification des nodules thyroïdiens constituent une étape importante pour la prise en charge des patients. Ces nodules dans notre étude sont essentiellement d'allure bénigne (EU-TIRADS 2 et 3) avec une prédominance féminine. Un arbre décisionnel tenant compte des éléments cliniques et cytopathologiques servirait davantage pour d'éventuelles chirurgies.

Introduction: Ultrasound is the first-line examination in the morphological exploration of the thyroid. It is an excellent diagnostic and prognostic tool in nodular thyropathy. Objective: to determine the profile of thyroid nodules on ultrasound according to the EU-TIRADS classification. Material and methods: descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in the radiology department of the University Hospital of Bouaké during one year. We included all thyroid ultrasound reports of patients with thyroid nodules. Data were analysed using Epi Info 7 software. Results: A total of 60 patients had nodules out of 97 referred for thyropathy (60.8%). The mean age was 45.6 years [13-82 years]. Females predominated with 82.7%. Anterior cervical swelling was the main indication in 72%. Thyroid volume was increased in 63% of patients with a mean volume of 71 cm3. Solitary nodules were present in 46.55%. Spongiform nodules were predominant in 32%. The nodules were solid in 29.8% and mixed in 16.5%. Hypoechogenicity was found in 44.8% of solid nodules. Lesions were classified as EU-TIRADS 2 in 58.8%, EU-TIRADS 3 in 23.5%, EU-TIRADS 4 in 14.7% and EU-TIRADS 5 in 2.9%. Conclusion: The characterisation and classification of thyroid nodules is an important step in the management of patients. In our study, these nodules are essentially benign (EU-TIRADS 2 and 3) with a female predominance. A decision tree taking into account the clinical and cytopathological elements would be more useful for possible surgery.

"Leverage pry-off method" for effective prevention of thermal injury during microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the safety and efficacy of"leverage pry-off method"for preventing thermal injury during microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules.@*METHODS@#From July, 2017 to September, 2019, a total of 348 patients with benign thyroid nodules underwent ultrasound-guided microwave ablation. For protecting from thermal injury during the ablation, "hydrodissection technique" was used in 174 of the patients (admitted from July, 2017 to August, 2018) and "leverage pry-off method" in the other 174 patients (admitted from September, 2018 to September, 2019). All the patients were followed up for 1 to 12 months after the operation for observation of severe complications and nodular residues.@*RESULTS@#Ultrasound-guided microwave ablation was completed in all the 348 patients. The most common severe complication associated with the ablation was voice change, occurring in 3 cases (1.7%) in "hydrodissection technique" group and in 4 (2.3%) in the "leverage pry-off method" group, showing no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). During the follow-up, no significant difference was found in the rate of nodular residues between the "hydrodissection technique" group and "hydrodissection technique" group (9.8% vs 10.9% (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The "leverage pry-off method" is simple and effective for preventing thermal injury during microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment of multiple pulmonary nodules / 中华肿瘤杂志

CT screening has markedly reduced the lung cancer mortality in high-risk population and increased the detection of early-stage pulmonary neoplasms, including multiple pulmonary nodules, especially those with a ground-glass appearance on CT. Multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) constitutes a specific subtype of lung cancer with indolent biological behaviors, which is predominantly early-stage adenocarcinoma. Although MPLC progresses slowly with rare lymphatic metastasis, existence of synchronous lesions and distributed location of these nodules still pose difficulty for the management of such patients. One single operation is usually insufficient to eradicate all neoplastic lesions, whereas repeated surgical procedures bring about another dilemma: whether clinical benefits of surgical treatment outweigh loss of pulmonary function following multiple operations. Therefore, despite the anxiety for treatment among MPLC patients, whether and how to treat the patient should be assessed meticulously. Currently there is a heated discussion upon the timing of clinical intervention, operation mode and the application of local therapy in MPLC. Based on clinical experience of our multiple disciplinary team, we have summarized and commented on the evaluation, surgical treatment, non-surgical local treatment, targeted therapy and immunotherapy of MPLC in this article to provide further insight into this field.

The influence of different CT scanning protocols on AI detection efficiency and radiation dose of solid nodules in chest phantom / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the radiation dose and detection efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) system for solid nodules in chest phantom with different scanning protocols.Methods:A total of 60 simulated nodules with different CT values and diameters were uniformly placed in each lung lobe and lung segment of the anthropomorphic chest phantom. GE Revolution evo CT was used to scan the chest phantom. 64 groups of images with different scanning parameters were collected at the tube voltage of 80, 100, 120, 140 kV, different noise indexes (NI 10-40 with interval 2), and other fixed parameters. The detection result of simulated nodules were recorded on AI software, and the detection rate and false detection rate were calculated, respectively, for different shapes of nodules. The mean volume CT dose index (CTDI vol) and dose length product (DLP) of each scan were recorded. Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the detection rate and false detection rate of spherical nodules and irregular nodules at different tube voltages( P > 0.05), but there were and statistically significant with different noise indices ( F=10.57, 17.77, 9.33, P < 0.001). Different tube voltages had no statistical significance for CTDI vol and DLP ( P > 0.05), while different noise indices had statistical significance for CTDI vol and DLP ( F=59.87, 60.92, P < 0.001). The detection rates of nodules were moderately or weakly correlated with noise indices, CTDI vol and DLP ( r=0.43, 0.56, -0.58, -0.78, P<0.05), but no correlation with tube voltage ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Scanning protocol has an impact on AI detection efficiency of pulmonary nodules. Reasonable scanning parameters should be selected according to different image quality requirements in clinical practice.

Preliminary study on thyroid ultrasound image restoration algorithm based on deep learning / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the feasibility of deep learning-based restoration of obscured thyroid ultrasound images.Methods:A total of 358 images of thyroid nodules were retropectively collected from January 2020 to October 2021 at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, and the images were randomly masked and restored using DeepFillv2. The difference in grey values between the images before and after restoration was compared, and 6 sonographers (2 chief physicians, 2 attending physicians, 2 residents) were invited to compare the rate of correctness of judgement and detection of image discrepancies. The ultrasound features of thyroid nodules (solid composition, microcalcifications, markedly hypoechoic, ill-defined or irregular margins, or extrathyroidal extensions, vertical orientation and comet-tail artifact) were extracted according to the Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS). The consistency of ultrasound features of thyroid nodules before and after restoration were compared.Results:The mean squared error of the images before and after restoration ranged from 0.274 to 0.522, and there were significant differences in the rate of correctness of judgement and detection of image discrepancies between physicians of different groups(all P<0.001). The overall accuracy rate was 51.95%, the overall detection rate was 1.79%, there were significant differences also within the chief physicians and resident groups (all P<0.001). The agreement rate of all ultrasound features of the nodules before and after image restoration was higher than 70%, over 90% agreement rate for features such as solid composition and comet-tail artifact. Conclusions:The algorithm can effectively repair obscured thyroid ultrasound images while preserving image features, which is expected to expand the deep learning image database, and promote the development of deep learning in the field of ultrasound images.