Autofluorescence-guided hemithyroidectomy in a low-volume thyroid institution with no experience in parathyroid surgery: randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that low-volume surgeons with no experience in parathyroid surgery are at increased risk of causing parathyroid gland damage during thyroid surgery. The aim of this RCT was to evaluate the impact of using autofluorescence in hemithyroidectomy on parathyroid gland identification and preservation in a low-volume institution with no experience in parathyroid surgery. METHODS: Patients referred for hemithyroidectomy were randomized 1 : 1 to either autofluorescence-guided hemithyroidectomy (the near-infrared autofluorescence group) or conventional hemithyroidectomy (the control group). The primary outcome was parathyroid gland identification rate. Secondary outcomes were the rate of parathyroid gland autotransplantation and the rate of inadvertent parathyroid gland excision. RESULTS: A total of 170 patients were randomized to either autofluorescence-guided hemithyroidectomy (84 patients) or conventional hemithyroidectomy (86 patients). In the near-infrared autofluorescence group, 81.0% of parathyroid glands were identified, compared with 57.0% in the control group (P < 0.001). Autofluorescence enabled parathyroid gland visualization before the naked eye in 46.3% of cases. Surgeons had lower confidence in the parathyroid gland identification process in the control group than in the near-infrared autofluorescence group (59.1% versus 87.5% respectively; P < 0.001). In the near-infrared autofluorescence group, the parathyroid gland autotransplantation rate was initially high, but declined over time. There was no difference in the rate of inadvertent parathyroid gland excision. CONCLUSION: Autofluorescence guidance significantly improved the parathyroid gland identification rate in hemithyroidectomy in a low-volume institution with no experience in parathyroid surgery and provided an increase in surgical confidence. The pattern of parathyroid gland autotransplantation in autofluorescence-guided surgery indicates the presence of a learning curve. REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05044351 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Damage to the parathyroid glands is common during thyroid surgery. The main reason for that is that they can be difficult to see during surgery. The aim of this study was to see if the use of a new near-infrared camera during thyroid surgery could make it easier to see the parathyroid glands. Patients, where removal of part of their thyroid gland was planned, were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the first group, the near-infrared camera was used, whereas it was not used in the other group. When the near-infrared camera was used, more parathyroid glands were found and the surgeons felt more secure in their handling of parathyroid glands.

Early signs of myocardial systolic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes are strongly associated with myocardial microvascular dysfunction independent of myocardial fibrosis: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes demonstrate early left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Notably reduced global longitudinal strain (GLS) is related to poor outcomes, the underlying pathophysiology is however still not clearly understood. We hypothesized that pathophysiologic changes with microvascular dysfunction and interstitial fibrosis contribute to reduced strain. METHODS: 211 patients with type 2 diabetes and 25 control subjects underwent comprehensive cardiovascular phenotyping by magnetic resonance imaging. Myocardial blood flow (MBF), perfusion reserve (MPR), extracellular volume (ECV), and 3D feature tracking GLS and global circumferential (GCS) and radial strain (GRS) were quantified. RESULTS: Patients (median age 57 [IQR 50, 67] years, 70% males) had a median diabetes duration of 12 [IQR 6, 18] years. Compared to control subjects GLS, GCS, and GRS were reduced in the total diabetes cohort, and GLS was also reduced in the sub-group of patients without diabetic complications compared to control subjects (controls - 13.9 ± 2.0%, total cohort - 11.6 ± 3.0%; subgroup - 12.3 ± 2.6%, all p < 0.05). Reduced GLS, but not GCS or GRS, was associated with classic diabetes complications of albuminuria (UACR ≥ 30 mg/g) [ß (95% CI) 1.09 (0.22-1.96)] and autonomic neuropathy [ß (95% CI) 1.43 (0.54-2.31)] but GLS was not associated with retinopathy or peripheral neuropathy. Independently of ECV, a 10% increase in MBF at stress and MPR was associated with higher GLS [multivariable regression adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, smoking, and ECV: MBF stress (ß (95% CI) - 0.2 (- 0.3 to - 0.08), MPR (ß (95% CI) - 0.5 (- 0.8 to - 0.3), p < 0.001 for both]. A 10% increase in ECV was associated with a decrease in GLS in univariable [ß (95% CI) 0.6 (0.2 to 1.1)] and multivariable regression, but this was abolished when adjusted for MPR [multivariable regression adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, smoking, and MPR (ß (95% CI) 0.1 (- 0.3 to 0.6)]. On the receiver operating characteristics curve, GLS showed a moderate ability to discriminate a significantly lowered stress MBF (AUC 0.72) and MPR (AUC 0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial microvascular dysfunction was independent of ECV, a biomarker of myocardial fibrosis, associated with GLS. Further, 3D GLS could be a potential screening tool for myocardial microvascular dysfunction. Future directions should focus on confirming these results in longitudinal and/or interventional studies.

The independent association of myocardial extracellular volume and myocardial blood flow with cardiac diastolic function in patients with type 2 diabetes: a prospective cross-sectional cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse myocardial fibrosis and microvascular dysfunction are suggested to underlie cardiac dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes, but studies investigating their relative impact are lacking. We aimed to study imaging biomarkers of these and hypothesized that fibrosis and microvascular dysfunction would affect different phases of left ventricular (LV) diastole. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and adenosine-stress and perfusion reserve (MPR), as well as extracellular volume fraction (ECV), were determined with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in 205 patients with type 2 diabetes and 25 controls. Diastolic parameters included echocardiography-determined lateral e' and average E/e', and CMR-determined (rest and chronotropic-stress) LV early peak filling rate (ePFR), LV peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR), and left atrial (LA) volume changes. RESULTS: In multivariable analysis adjusted for possible confounders including each other (ECV for blood flow and vice versa), a 10% increase of ECV was independently associated with ePFR/EDV (rest: ß = - 4.0%, stress: ß = - 7.9%), LAmax /BSA (rest: ß = 4.8%, stress: ß = 5.8%), and circumferential (ß = - 4.1%) and radial PDSR (ß = 0.07%/sec). A 10% stress MBF increase was associated with lateral e' (ß = 1.4%) and average E/e' (ß = - 1.4%) and a 10% MPR increase to lateral e' (ß = 2.7%), and average E/e' (ß = - 2.8%). For all the above, p < 0.05. No associations were found with longitudinal PDSR or left atrial total emptying fraction. CONCLUSION: In patients with type 2 diabetes, imaging biomarkers of microvascular dysfunction and diffuse fibrosis impacts diastolic dysfunction independently of each other. Microvascular dysfunction primarily affects early left ventricular relaxation. Diffuse fibrosis primarily affects diastasis. Trial registration https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov . Unique identifier: NCT02684331. Date of registration: February 18, 2016.