Effect of Music Therapy on Pain During Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy; A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: High-resolution ultrasonography devices have led to the increased detection of thyroid nodules and the need for fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). However, FNAB is an invasive procedure that can cause discomfort and pain. Music therapy has been used for centuries to alleviate pain, and our clinical trial was conducted to investigate its impact on pain scores during thyroid FNAB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a randomized, controlled clinical trial, including adult patients undergoing thyroid FNAB. We evaluated the nonpharmacological intervention of listening to music before and during thyroid FNAB. We used a slow, nonlyrical, flowing melody with a tempo of 60 to 80 beats per minute as a therapeutic intervention for managing anxiety and pain. It had low tones, minimal percussion, and a volume of around 60 dB. The Beck Anxiety Inventory and Visual Pain Scale were used. RESULTS: The study included 529 patients assigned to either the music group (n = 258, 48.7%) or the control group (n = 271, 51.2%). The patients were categorized into subgroups based on either a single nodule (73.63%) or multiple nodules (24.18%). When all patients or single nodule and multiple data are examined separately, the intervention group showed statistically significantly lower pain scores than the control group. CONCLUSION: Our study is among the first on this topic and the largest in the available literature to demonstrate that listening to music during FNAB significantly reduces pain and anxiety. Music therapy is an effective, safe, and noninvasive intervention that can improve patient care and reduce distress and pain.

A comparative analysis of surgically excised hereditary and sporadic pheochromocytomas: Insights from a single-center experience.

Pheochromocytoma is a tumor that usually originating from adrenal medullary chromaffin cells and producing one or more catecholamines, can manifest as hereditary or sporadic. While the majority pheochromocytomas are sporadic, hereditary forms are often associated with genetic syndromes such as von Hippel-Lindau, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, and neurofibromatosis type 1. This study aims to analyze data from our series of surgically excited pheochromocytoma patients and compare the characteristics between hereditary and sporadic cases. We retrospectively evaluated 33 diagnosed pheochromocytoma patients, documenting clinical features, surgical complications, and tumor characteristics in both hereditary and sporadic cases. Among the patients, 21% (7 individuals) had hereditary pheochromocytoma, while 79% (26 individuals) had sporadic cases. During diagnosis, hereditary pheochromocytoma patients exhibited a significantly lower mean age compared to the sporadic group (26.4 ± 9.9 years vs. 50.4 ± 14.0 years; p < 0.001). The maximum tumor size was also lower in hereditary cases compared to sporadic cases (p = 0.004). Adrenal tumor localization analysis showed that 63.6% were right-sided, 24.2% were left-sided, and 12.1% were bilateral. Laboratory analysis revealed significantly higher urinary norepinephrine levels in hereditary pheochromocytoma patients (p = 0.021). Our findings suggest that hereditary pheochromocytoma cases are characterized by a younger age at diagnosis, smaller tumor size, and a higher prevalence of multiple bilateral adrenal adenomas. We recommend genetic testing for all pheochromocytoma patients, particularly those with early-onset disease and bilateral adrenal tumors.

Insulin Resistance in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a Predictor of Fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the frequency of fibromyalgia and its predictors in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its relationship with insulin resistance, and to assess the effect of fibromyalgia on the anxiety and depressive symptoms in PCOS patients, and how the quality of life was affected by this combination. MEASUREMENTS: The study was conducted with 74 women with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria, which applied to our tertiary care clinic between January 2021 and January 2022, and 51 controls. Endocrinologic and rheumatologic examinations, biochemical and hormonal analyses, and radiologic imaging are made. Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADs) and Short Form 36 (SF-36) quality of life scale were applied. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between patients (n = 74 (23%)) and controls (n = 51 (13.7%)) in terms of fibromyalgia frequency. This frequency was 41.4% in PCOS patients with insulin resistance. The presence of insulin resistance was significantly higher in patients with PCOS and fibromyalgia (70.4%, 12 of 17 patients with fibromyalgia for the PCOS group; 8.3%, 1 of 7 patients with fibromyalgia for the control group) (χ2 = 9.130, p=0.003). Higher HOMA-IR levels (B = 1.278, p = 0.034) and age (B = 1.134, p = 0.022) were significant predictors of fibromyalgia in PCOS patients. Physical functioning (U = 1.960, P = 0.050), bodily pain subscales (U = 2.765, p = 0.006), and physical health summary measure (U = 2.296, p = 0.022) were significantly lower, VAS pain (U = 5.145, p < 0.0001) and fatigue (U = 5.997, p < 0.0001) scale scores were higher in PCOS patients with fibromyalgia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that fibromyalgia is frequent in PCOS patients with insulin resistance.

The clinical significance of calcium/magnesium ratio in primary hyperparathyroidism: unveiling a clinical association.

PURPOSE: In previous studies, magnesium (Mg) was found to be lower in cases with more severe primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and higher calcium (Ca) levels. This study evaluated the relationship between serum Mg and serum Ca and phosphorus (P) levels in PHPT and their utility in determining the presence of osteoporosis and nephrolithiasis. METHODS: Patients who were followed up with PHPT between March 2019 and March 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. Biochemical data, renal ultrasonography results, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) reports, and technetium 99 m sestamibi parathyroid scintigraphy reports were obtained. MgxP, Mg/P, Ca/P, and corrected Ca (cCa)/P values were calculated. The relationships between biochemical parameters and clinical outcomes were evaluated statistically. RESULTS: A total of 543 patients were included in the study. Patients with nephrolithiasis had higher cCa/Mg or Ca/Mg than those without nephrolithiasis. Additionally, ROC analysis revealed that cCa/Mg greater than 5.24 could identify the presence of nephrolithiasis with a sensitivity of 73.3% and a specificity of 73%. No statistically significant correlation existed between the results of the Mg/P, MgxP, cCa/Mg, Ca/Mg values, and DEXA-bone mineral densitometry(BMD). CONCLUSION: Ca/Mg and cCa/Mg ratios in particular seem more valuable in determining the presence of nephrolithiasis than the currently used 24-h urine Ca measurement. Compared to urinary Ca measurements, they are cheaper, more practical, and more accessible.

Alternative treatment of resistant hypoparathyroidism by intermittent infusion of teriparatide using an insulin pump: A case report.

Hypoparathyroidism usually responds to oral active vitamin D and calcium, but, although rare, some patients do not respond to this treatment. A 47-year-old Caucasian female presented to our medical unit with classical oral treatment-resistant hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy. Teriparatide was infused through the insulin pump with dosage set to 1 unit which equals to 2.5 µg of teriparatide. In conclusion, intermittent subcutaneous infusion of teriparatide using an insulin pump is a safe and effective treatment modality to ensure normocalcemic conditions in patients with classical treatment-resistant hypoparathyroidism. 39th Turkey Congress of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, May 3-7, 2017, Antalya, Turkey.