Thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology: prospective comparison between 18F-FDG-PET/CT, multiparametric neck ultrasonography, 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy and histology.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of (18)F-flurodeoxiglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET/CT) in predicting malignancy of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analysed 87 patients who have been scheduled to undergo surgery for thyroid nodule with indeterminate cytology. All patients underwent (18)F-FDG-PET/CT, multiparametric neck ultrasonography (MPUS), and (99m)Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile scintigraphy ((99m)Tc-MIBI-scan). Histopathology was the standard of reference. We compared the sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), accuracy (AC), positive (PPV) and negative predictive (NPV) values of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT with those of (99m)Tc-MIBI-scan and MPUS in detecting cancer. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluated the association between each diagnostic tool and histopathology. RESULTS: On histopathology, 69 out of 87 nodules were found to be benign and 18 to be malignant. The SE, SP, AC, PPV and NPV of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT were 94, 58, 66, 37 and 98% respectively. The SE, AC and NPV of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT were significantly higher than those of MPUS and (99m)Tc-MIBI-scan. The association of both positive (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and MPUS (FDG+/MPUS+) showed significantly lower SE (61% vs 94%) and NPV (88% vs 98%) than (18)F-FDG-PET/CT alone, but significantly higher SP (77% vs 58%). On univariate analysis, (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and the combination of FDG+/MPUS+ and of FDG+/MIBI- were all significantly associated with histopathology. On multivariate analysis, only FDG+/MIBI- was significantly associated with histopathology. CONCLUSION: The AC of (18)F-FDG-PET /CT in detecting thyroid malignancy is higher than that of (99m)Tc-MIBI-scan and MPUS. A negative (18)F-FDG-PET/CT correctly predicts benign findings on histopathology. The association of FDG+/MPS+ is significantly more specific than (18)F-FDG-PET/CT alone in identifying differentiated thyroid cancer. A positive (18)F-FDG-PET/CT is significantly associated with malignancy when qualitative (99m)Tc-MIBI-scan is rated as negative.

Mecanismos de continencia en reservorios ostómicos. Evaluación en modelo experimental / Continence mechanisms in stoma pouch. Evaluation in an experimental model

Objetivo: Comparar los diferentes mecanismos de continencia aplicables a reservorios ileales ostómicos en un modelo experimental.Materiales y Métodos: Se realizaron 24 reservorios completos y 40 minirreservorios ileales en un modelo experimental con intestino bovino, donde se confeccionaron distintos mecanismos de continencia ostómicos: afinamiento tubular, Witzel, Monti, enteroplicatura y Kock. La continencia fue evaluada mediante estudios urodinámicos y se definió incontinencia a la presión de pérdida menor de 50 cm de agua. Resultados: El afinamiento tubular requirió un tiempo promedio de confección de 18 minutos y la presión de pérdida fue de 0-2 cm de agua, resultando incontinente. El trayecto subseroso de Witzel, 26 minutos y la presión de pérdida fue de 4-6 cm de agua, resultando incontinente. Los mecanismos de Monti y enteroplicatura, 59 y 30 minutos respectivamente, y sin pérdida hasta una presión de 70-80 cm de agua, resultando continentes. Conclusión: Los resultados funcionales de los mecanismos de continencia fueron superiores en enteroplicatura y Monti, siendo la enteroplicatura de menor complejidad para su confección

Mecanismos de continencia en reservorios ostómicos. Evaluación en modelo experimental / Continence mechanisms in stoma pouch. Evaluation in an experimental model

Objetivo: Comparar los diferentes mecanismos de continencia aplicables a reservorios ileales ostómicos en un modelo experimental.Materiales y Métodos: Se realizaron 24 reservorios completos y 40 minirreservorios ileales en un modelo experimental con intestino bovino, donde se confeccionaron distintos mecanismos de continencia ostómicos: afinamiento tubular, Witzel, Monti, enteroplicatura y Kock. La continencia fue evaluada mediante estudios urodinámicos y se definió incontinencia a la presión de pérdida menor de 50 cm de agua. Resultados: El afinamiento tubular requirió un tiempo promedio de confección de 18 minutos y la presión de pérdida fue de 0-2 cm de agua, resultando incontinente. El trayecto subseroso de Witzel, 26 minutos y la presión de pérdida fue de 4-6 cm de agua, resultando incontinente. Los mecanismos de Monti y enteroplicatura, 59 y 30 minutos respectivamente, y sin pérdida hasta una presión de 70-80 cm de agua, resultando continentes. Conclusión: Los resultados funcionales de los mecanismos de continencia fueron superiores en enteroplicatura y Monti, siendo la enteroplicatura de menor complejidad para su confección(AU)

Mecanismos de continencia en reservorios ostómicos. Evaluación en modelo experimental / Continence mechanisms in stoma pouch. Evaluation in an experimental model

Objetivo: Comparar los diferentes mecanismos de continencia aplicables a reservorios ileales ostómicos en un modelo experimental.Materiales y Métodos: Se realizaron 24 reservorios completos y 40 minirreservorios ileales en un modelo experimental con intestino bovino, donde se confeccionaron distintos mecanismos de continencia ostómicos: afinamiento tubular, Witzel, Monti, enteroplicatura y Kock. La continencia fue evaluada mediante estudios urodinámicos y se definió incontinencia a la presión de pérdida menor de 50 cm de agua. Resultados: El afinamiento tubular requirió un tiempo promedio de confección de 18 minutos y la presión de pérdida fue de 0-2 cm de agua, resultando incontinente. El trayecto subseroso de Witzel, 26 minutos y la presión de pérdida fue de 4-6 cm de agua, resultando incontinente. Los mecanismos de Monti y enteroplicatura, 59 y 30 minutos respectivamente, y sin pérdida hasta una presión de 70-80 cm de agua, resultando continentes. Conclusión: Los resultados funcionales de los mecanismos de continencia fueron superiores en enteroplicatura y Monti, siendo la enteroplicatura de menor complejidad para su confección(AU)

Immunohistochemical quantitation of thymidylate synthase expression in colorectal cancer metastases predicts for clinical outcome to fluorouracil-based chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To determine whether immunohistochemical thymidylate synthase (TS) quantitation predicts for clinical outcome in patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated by fluorouracil (FUra)-based chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: TS levels were measured immunohistochemically on archival specimens of colorectal cancer metastases from 48 patients homogenously treated by bolus FUra plus methotrexate alternating with continuous-infusion FUra plus leucovorin. These measurements were retrospectively correlated with patient characteristics and clinical outcome. RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between intratumoral TS expression and all the parameters of clinical outcome analyzed. In patients whose tumors had low (n = 27) and high (n = 21) TS levels, the overall response rates were 67% and 24%, respectively (P =.003). The percentage of tumor shrinkage after chemotherapy was linearly related to TS immunoreactivity (r =.56, P =.00004), and its mean values were 65% and 14% with low and high TS levels, respectively (P =.0001). By logistic regression analysis, low TS expression was the single best predictor of response to chemotherapy (relative probability, 5.0). In patients with low and high TS expression, the median time to progression was 9.6 months v 6.2 months (P =.005) and the median survival time 18.4 months v 15.4 months (P =.02), respectively. Two- and 3-year survival rates were 41% v 15% and 19% v 0% (P =.02), respectively. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of homogenously treated patients, intratumor TS content was a major predictor of clinical outcome. Immunohistochemical TS quantitation provides a convenient, low-cost technique for identifying patients unresponsive to TS inhibitors who may be candidates for alternative chemotherapy regimens.

[Detection of Helicobacter pylori in 201 stomach biopsies using the polymerase chain reaction, histological staining (H&E/Giemsa) and immunohistochemistry]. / Evidenziazione degli Helicobacter Pylori in 201 biopsie gastriche mediante Polymerase Chain Reaction, colorazioni istologiche (EE/giemsa) e di immunoistochimica.

Helicobacter Pylori is believed to be an essential etiologic agent of type B chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in humans. Recent reports have also suggested a role for these organisms in the development of gastric carcinoma and MALT-Lymphoma. A variety of diagnostic procedures are used for the identification of Helicobacter Pylori in clinical samples. 201 gastric biopsy (164 antral and 37 body biopsy specimens) were obtained from 164 patients with endoscopic abnormalities. These samples were studied for the detection of the presence of Helicobacter Pylori by histological staining (EE/Giemsa), immunohistochemistry and PCR by using a primer pair derived from the nucleotide sequence of the Urease A gene of Helicobacter Pylori. Specific amplification of a 411 base pair DNA fragment from all strain of Helicobacter Pylori tested was achieved. Of the 201 gastric biopsy analyzed, 63 (31%) were infected with Helicobacter Pylori on the basis of both histological and immunohistochemical staining, and 81 (41%) were positive with PCR (P < 0.001). Our results support a role for PCR in the rapid and highly sensitive and specific identification of Helicobacter Pylori in gastric biopsy specimens.

A fast and simple in situ PCR method to detect human papilloma virus infection in archival paraffin-embedded tissues.

We describe a simple and fast method for the detection and localization of low copy numbers of HPV DNA in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded archival tissues. We have developed a protocol for direct bl situ-PCR in order to demonstrate its convenience in rapid and reproducible assessment of HPV infection in unknown biopsies. The morphological aspect of the tissues has been maintained, despite the multiple steps of fixation, permeabilization and thermal cycling, and positivity has been detected only in virus target cells.

Epstein-Barr virus-related primary cutaneous amyloidosis. Successful treatment with acyclovir and interferon-alpha.

Cutaneous lesions related to chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection have been rarely documented in immunocompetent patients. A 30-year-old woman, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for the chronic fatigue syndrome, had a 10-year history of pruritic brownish macules and papules on her chest and back. Her EBV serology was abnormal; the EBV genome was present in the epidermis of lesions, in oral secretions, and in peripheral mononuclear cells (PMC). Her blood lymphocytes spontaneously outgrew in culture. Histology revealed deposits of amyloid in the papillary dermis. Treatment with acyclovir and interferon-alpha rapidly improved her condition, stopped the lymphocyte outgrowth in culture, and reduced the EBV DNA content in oral secretions and in PMC. These data support an endogenous reactivation of EBV infection and suggest a causal relationship with primary amyloidosis.

[Expression of P53 protein in cutaneous melanoma]. / Espressione della proteina P53 nel melanoma cutaneo.

P53 protein in cutaneous melanoma. We report the results of an immunohistochemical analysis about the nuclear phosphoprotein P53 expression performed on 48 primary and 10 metastatic cutaneous melanoma in order to assess the prevalence of the expression of mutant P53 protein (m-P53) in this skin tumour. In our study m-P53 was found in about 46% of primary tumours without any significant relationship with the corresponding metastatic lesions. Therefore the P53 count in cutaneous melanoma is not a prognostic marker of tumour spread and aggressiveness.

Counting the nucleolar organizer region-associated proteins is a prognostic clue of malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: The nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) are chromosomal loops of DNA to which acidic proteins are associated that are seen by silver staining as black dots within the nucleoli (hereafter, these silver-staining NORs will be referred to as AgNORs). As their size and number reflect cell and nuclear activity, their counting in paraffin sections is regarded as a useful tool for diagnosing and prognosing malignant tumors. We counted AgNORs in 98 patients with stage I melanoma, followed up to an average of 73 months, to verify whether the number of AgNORs is of prognostic value. RESULTS: The number of AgNORs averaged 2.792 +/- 0.901 in the 64 patients without metastases and 4.889 +/- 1.403 in the 34 with metastases. In patients with counts higher than 3.62, there was an 82% probability of metastases developing. CONCLUSION: The technique is fast, simple, and reproducible with easily available reagents and standard light microscopy. In our population, AgNOR counts constituted a more accurate prognostic indicator than Clark's level and Breslow's thickness. Confirmation in a new population is needed.

Flutamide in the treatment of hirsutism.

Ten hirsute women were treated with flutamide (250 mg/day) for 6 months to evaluate its effect. Hair growth as assessed by the Ferriman and Gallwey hair score was significantly reduced in all patients (P less than 0.01). The only significant change in endocrine levels was an increase in serum androstenedione (P less than 0.01). Acne and seborrhea improved markedly. No side effects were noted during the treatment. Our data suggest that the antiandrogenic properties of flutamide render it a suitable single agent in the treatment of hirsutism.

Cabergoline versus bromocriptine in suppression of lactation after cesarean delivery.

We evaluated the efficacy of cabergoline, a new ergoline derivative, in blocking puerperal lactation in a group of women delivered by cesarean section. In a single-blind controlled trial 36 women were randomly allocated to treatment with cabergoline 1 mg in a single dose p.o. (n = 18) or bromocriptine 5 mg/day p.o. for 14 days (n = 18). Treatment was started about 50 h after delivery. Clinical assessment of breast signs and determination of serum prolactin were performed just before treatment and at 3, 5, 7 and 14 days. In the cabergoline-treated group milk secretion was inhibited in 17 women (94.4%). Maximum decrease of serum prolactin was -89.7% at 5 days, and the prolactin-lowering effect of cabergoline was still present at 14 days. In the bromocriptine group milk secretion was inhibited in 16 women (88.9%). Maximum prolactin decrease (-86.9%) was reached at 3 days. Persistent side effects were comparable in the two groups. This study demonstrates that a single oral dose of 1 mg cabergoline is as effective in suppressing puerperal lactation as a full treatment with bromocriptine, even in women delivered by cesarean section.

[Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization techniques in the study of 75 patients with HPV-induced lesions of the genitalia]. / Studio con tecniche di immunoistochimica ed ibridazione in situ di 75 pazienti con lesioni HPV-indotte dei genitali.

Seventy-five patients with anogenital warts were biopsied in the Center for Sexually Transmitted Disease of Galliera Hospital (Genoa). Bioptic specimens were processed for histologic examination, immunohistochemistry using polyclonal antibodies against HPV capsid common antigens and in situ hybridization using HPV 6/11, 16/18, 31/35/51 DNA probes. The aim of the study was to detect patients positive for HPV 16/18, 31/35/51 DNA probes. These HPV types have a higher oncogenic potential and patients with lesions harbouring them are considered to be at risk for progression to malignancy. These patients should be followed up carefully and periodically for early detection of new lesions and neoplastic transformation.