Duration of Preparation for Postoperative Radioiodine Administration in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma / 대한내분비학회지

BACKGROUND: Radioiodine treatment is effective for the removal of remnant thyroid tissues after thyroidectomy in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. To induce the elevation of serum TSH level which facilitates the uptake of radioiodine into remnants, a 4 to 6 week interval between thyroidectomy and radioiodine administration has been established. During the period of preparation, most patients have experienced overt symptoms of hypothyroidism which have led to the development of alternative strategies. Some reports have suggested that the interval could be reduced to about 3 weeks with less symptoms. We reevaluated the adequate time needed for the elevation of serum TSH level above 30microU/mL after thyroidectomy. METHODS: Forty five patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma were investigated. Serum TSH and free T4 levels were measured one or more times within 3 weeks after operation(total 97 blood samples). Eighty nine blood samples were obtained within 15 days. RESULTS: In 41 patients (91.1%) serum TSH levels increased to 30 microU/mL until 15 days after operation. Until postoperative 21 days, serum TSH levels in all the other patients reached 30microU/mL. In linear equation, the daily increment of serum TSH levels was 2.62microU/mL for the first 8 days after operation and 5.34micorU/mL for the next 7 days. The half-life of serum free T4 levels showed marked individual variations. CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum TSH level at about 15 days after total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma may be useful in determining the time of radioiodine administration.

A Case of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis with Transient T3-Thyrotoxicosis Induced by Hydatidiform Mole / 대한내분비학회지

Human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG) is a member of the glycoproteins family synthesized by the placenta, which consists of 2 noncovalently joined subunits(alpha(alpha) and beta(beta)). The alpha- and beta-subunits have a structural homology with the alpha- and beta-subunits of TSH and LH. The thyrotropic action of HCG results from its structural similarity to TSH, so beta-HCG can bind to the TSH receptor in the thyroid gland. A high level of HCG accompanied by an increased thyroid hormone level, can be observed in gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), such as a hydatidiform mole or a choriocarcinoma, but the clinical symptoms of hyperthyroidism are rarely observed. We experienced a case of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, where the patient was diagnosed with T3-thyrotoxicosis, which had initially been induced by excess beta-HCG due to an H-mole; after evacuation of the H-mole, the condition was diagnosed as hypothyroidism. It has been speculated that a patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis could have hyperthyroidism, induced by beta-HCG, due to an H-mole

A Case of Masked Hypoglycemia during Lactic Acidosis / 대한내분비학회지

Severe hypoglycemia induces neuroglycopenic symptoms, including mental alteration, as glucose is the exclusive fuel for the central nervous system. However, some reports have shown that non-glucose fuels, like lactates and ketones, could be utilized by the brain during severe hypoglycemia. Herein, a case of extreme hypoglycemia in a 44-year old woman, subsequently diagnosed as congestive heart failure accompanied by ischemic hepatitis and lactic acidosis, is presented. In two episodes of extreme hypoglycemia, she was fully alert without obvious neurological deficits. In this unusual case, an increased supply of lactate might have maintained the cerebral function and prevented cerebral injury during the hypoglycemia that was induced as a result of starvation and hepatic and cardiac dysfunctions

A Case of Masked Hypoglycemia during Lactic Acidosis / 대한내분비학회지

Severe hypoglycemia induces neuroglycopenic symptoms, including mental alteration, as glucose is the exclusive fuel for the central nervous system. However, some reports have shown that non-glucose fuels, like lactates and ketones, could be utilized by the brain during severe hypoglycemia. Herein, a case of extreme hypoglycemia in a 44-year old woman, subsequently diagnosed as congestive heart failure accompanied by ischemic hepatitis and lactic acidosis, is presented. In two episodes of extreme hypoglycemia, she was fully alert without obvious neurological deficits. In this unusual case, an increased supply of lactate might have maintained the cerebral function and prevented cerebral injury during the hypoglycemia that was induced as a result of starvation and hepatic and cardiac dysfunctions

A Case of Adrenocortical Oncocytoma / 대한내분비학회지

Oncocytomas are neoplasms, histologically are composed of epithelial cells, with abundant, acidophilic and granular cytoplasm. Electron microscopic studies of oncocytomas have shown that the cytoplasm of oncocytes is packed with mitochondria. The adrenal gland is a very rare anatomical site for oncocytomas, and to the best of our knowledge, only thirty-six cases of adrenal oncocytomas have been described. Herein, a case of a large adrenal mass in a forty-year-old man, which was incidentally detected by abdominal ultrasonography, is presented. This patient demonstrated no clinical manifestation associated with adrenal hyperfunction. Hormonal studies showed no abnormal findings, except for a mild elevation of the 24-hour urinary VMA level. Abdominal computed tomography with enhancement revealed a large, well-defined left adrenal mass, measuring 5.0x.2 x.0cm. The patient underwent a left adrenalectomy, and a light microscopic examination confirmed an adrenocortical oncocytoma, with characteristic oncocytes and polygonal, abundant, eosinophilic and granular cytoplasm. The tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin and vimentin as well as S-100, but negative for chromogranin on immunohistochemical staining. An electron microscopic examination demonstrated closely packed mitochondria, containing intramitochondrial inclusions. After surgery, there was no evidence of a recurrent or distant metastatic disease at the 5 month follow-up. In summary, an extremely rare case of a man with an adrenocortical oncocytoma is reported, which was confirmed by histological examinations, including electron microscopy.

The Change of Pulmonary Artery Pressure in Graves'Disease Before and After Treatment / 대한내분비학회지

BACKGROUND: Exertional symptoms, dyspnea and impaired effort tolerance are common in patients with Graves' disease. Proposed explanations include: high-output left heart failure, ineffective oxygen utilization and respiratory muscle weakness. In addition, pulmonary hypertension has also been reported in patients with Graves' disease. A high prevalence of hypothyroidism and positive thyroid autoantibody were also observed in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Therefore, the pulmonary artery pressure in patients with Graves' disease was evaluated. METHODS: Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic examinations (Hewlett Packard Sonos 2500) were performed to determine the pulmonary artery (PA) pressure in 26 Graves' disease patients, both before and after treatment (23 patients with propylthiouracil and 3 with RAI), and in 10 euthyroid controls. The changes in the PA pressure after treatment were evaluated in 13 patients with Graves' disease, who became euthyroid after treatment. RESULTS: The pulmonary artery pressure was increased in the untreated Graves' disease patients compared to the normal controls (23.5+/-2.32 vs. 29.6+/-10.3 mmHg). 38.5% of the Graves' disease patients (10/26) showed pulmonary arterial hypertension (PA>30 mmHg) and the serum TBII levelwas higher in the Graves' disease patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension than in those with normal PA pressure (P<0.05). In the Graves' patients who became euthyroid after treatment, the PA pressure was significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: 38.5% of the untreated Graves' disease patients showed pulmonary arterial hypertension, and the pulmonary artery pressure was significantly decreased in those who became euthyroid after treatment. The pathogenesis and clinical importance of pulmonary arterial hypertension in Graves' disease requires further studies.