2021 Asia-Pacific Graves' Disease Consortium Survey of Clinical Practice Patterns in the Management of Graves' Disease.

AIM: Although Graves' disease (GD) is common in endocrine practices worldwide, global differences in diagnosis and management remain. We sought to assess the current practices for GD in countries across Asia and the Pacific (APAC), and to compare these with previously published surveys from North America and Europe. METHODS: A web-based survey on GD management was conducted on practicing clinicians. Responses from 542 clinicians were received and subsequently analysed and compared to outcomes from similar surveys from other regions. RESULTS: A total of 542 respondents participated in the survey, 515 (95%) of whom completed all sections. Of these, 86% were medical specialists, 11% surgeons, and 3% nuclear medicine physicians. In addition to serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine assays, most respondents would request TSH-receptor autoantibody (TRAb) measurement (68%) during initial work-up. Thyroid ultrasound is requested by about half of respondents (53%), while the use of nuclear medicine scans is limited. The preferred first-line treatment is anti-thyroid drug (ATD) therapy (79%) with methimazole (MMI) or carbimazole (CBZ), followed by radioiodine (RAI; 19%) and surgery (2%). In case of surgery, one-third of respondents would opt for a subtotal rather than a total thyroidectomy. In case of mild Graves orbitopathy (GO), ATDs (67%) remains the preferred treatment, but a larger proportion of clinicians prefer surgery (20%). For a patient with intention to conceive, the preferred treatment pattern remained unchanged, although propylthiouracil (PTU) became the preferred ATD-agent during the first trimester. In comparison to European and American practices, marked differences were noted in the relatively infrequent usage of nuclear medicine scans and the overall higher use of a ATDs and ß-blockers and adjunctive ATD-treatment during RAI in the APAC-group. CONCLUSION: Although regional differences regarding the diagnosis and management of GD are apparent in this first pan-Asia-Pacific survey, this study reveals the overall approach to the management of this disease in Asia-Pacific generally tends to fall between the trends appreciated in the American and European cohorts.

INCIDENTAL THYROID CANCER IN THE PYRAMIDAL LOBE & IMPLICATIONS FOR THYROIDECTOMY.

The Embryological remnants (ERs) must be removed to achieve a safe and complete 'total' thyroidectomy. Residual ERs, after thyroidectomy, may cause recurrence of the initial pathology. This poses management dilemmas, including a difficult reoperation. Active search and removal of the ERs intraoperatively is essential. Primary overt malignancy is rare in ERs. Literature reports several cohort studies of same. The incidence of a Micropapillary Carcinoma in an ER has not been reported and this brief report describes two patients with Incidental Micropapillary Carcinoma in the Pyramidal lobe, reiterating the need to make removal of ERs the accepted norm in total thyroidectomies.

A comparative international study on the management of acute appendicitis between a developed country and a middle income country.

BACKGROUND: In the past decade there has been an exponential increase in the use of Computerised Tomography (CT) imaging in the assessment of patients with acute appendicitis. The aim of this study was to compare management approaches and clinical outcomes of acute appendicitis in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. METHODS: Data was collected prospectively from 400 patients referred to the General Surgical department with a differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis, 200 at University Kelaniya Sri Lanka (SL group), and 200 at University College London Hospital (UK group). RESULTS: The groups were similar with respect to gender, but the SL group was younger. Preoperative work-up included ultrasound more commonly in SL patients, and CT more commonly in UK patients. More patients underwent appendicectomy in the SL group, however a laparoscopic approach was utilised more often in the UK group (50.5% vs. 11.9%). Post-operative complications were similarly represented in both groups, but re-admission occurred with greater frequency in the UK group (16.2% vs. 0%). Histologically confirmed appendicitis was seen in a significantly greater proportion of SL patients (93.1% vs. 79.8%). Multivariate analysis confirmed male gender, and diagnosis and treatment in Sri Lanka to be only factors significantly associated with positive appendicitis. DISCUSSION: Expensive investigations such as CT do not appear to improve the diagnostic accuracy of appendicitis or prevent complications. This study suggests diagnostic and treatment algorithms in the SL hospital are more accurate and efficient in confirming appendicitis than those seen in the UK hospital under investigation.

Course pattern of the muscular branch of the median nerve in Sri Lankans hand / Curso del patrón del ramo muscular del nervio mediano de la mano en sri lankenses

Transligamentous variant of the recurrent motor branch is having a higher risk of getting damage during both endoscopic and open carpal tunnel releases. The incidence of the transligamentous variant is about 7 percent to 80 percent world wide. This wide variation of the incidence could be due to the failure of identification of the distal edge of the flexor retinaculum from the obliquely oriented fascia that runs from the distal edge. We used two criteria to identify the distal edge; the abrupt change in the thickness of the flexor retinaculum and its colour change in cross section. The incidence of transligamentous variant is rare and the reported high incidence could be due to an error in identification of the distal edge of the flexor retinaculum as shown by Kosin (1998).

Las variantes transligamentosas del ramo motor recurrente tienen un mayor riesgo de recibir daños durante la endoscopía y liberación abierta del túnel carpiano. La incidencia de la variante transligamentosa es de, aproximadamente, 7 a 80 por ciento en todo el mundo. Esta amplia variación de la incidencia podría deberse a la falla en la identificación del borde distal del retináculo flexor de la fascia de orientación oblicua que va desde el borde distal. Hemos utilizado dos criterios para identificar el borde distal, el brusco cambio en el grosor del retináculo flexor y su cambio de color en la sección transversal. La incidencia de la variante transligamentosa fue rara y el informe de la alta incidencia podría deberse a un error en la identificación del borde distal del retináculo flexor, como lo demuestra Kosin (1998).

Incidental occult carcinomas in total thyroidectomy for benign diseases of the thyroid.

BACKGROUND: Total thyroidectomy is increasingly recognised as the preferred surgical option for benign diseases of the thyroid. One factor contributing towards this change in policy is reports of incidental carcinomas in the resected specimens. METHODS: This was a prospective study of patients, who underwent total thyroidectomy for benign diseases of the thyroid at the University Surgical Unit, Colombo North Teaching Hospital from January 2003 to December 2005. RESULTS: There were 68 patients (67 females) aged 28 to 67 years (mean 44.2 (SD=11.1). In 6 (8.8%) patients, histological examination of the post-operative specimen showed incidental carcinomas: 2 papillary, 2 medullary and 2 follicular carcinomas. There was no significant difference in age, clinical presentation and functional thyroid status of patients with incidental carcinomas and those with histologically confirmed benign diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Occurrence of incidental thyroid cancers was 8.8% in this series, and they were difficult to predict pre-operatively. The policy of performing total thyroidectomy for benign disease of the thyroid obviates the need for further surgery if an incidental carcinoma is found.

A rare variant of the superficial ulnar artery, and its clinical implications: a case report.

The superficial ulnar artery is a rare variation of the upper limb arterial system that arises from the brachial or axillary artery and runs superficial to the muscles arising from the medial epicondyle 123. The incidence is about 0.7 to 7% 145. In our routine dissections we found a superficial ulnar artery, which crossed the cubital fossa superficial to the bicipital aponeurosis making it highly vulnerable to intra-arterial injection. This is a rare variation that every medical and nursing staff member should know about.