Comparative evaluation of shear wave elastography elasticity values in thyroid nodules with cytology results and TI-RADS scoring in differentiation of benign-malignant nodules.

PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of shear wave elastography (SWE) in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules and their correlation with the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS). METHODS: This prospective study included 370 thyroid nodules in 308 patients aged 18-70 years. All the patients underwent B-mode ultrasound (US), Doppler examination, and SWE and were given an ACR TI-RADS risk score before fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and/or surgery. The correlation between SWE parameters and ACR TI-RADS categories was investigated statistically and compared with histopathologic results. Additionally, the diagnostic performance of SWE was evaluated to distinguish malignant and benign thyroid nodules. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-five of the 370 thyroid nodules were malignant, and 235 nodules were benign. The mean shear wave velocity (SWV) value of the malignant nodules (3.70 ± 0.98 m/s) was statistically higher than that of the benign nodules (2.70 ± 0.37 m/s). The best cutoff value of the mean SWV for differentiating benign and malignant nodules was found to be 2.94 m/s (sensitivity 90.4%, specificity 89.9%, positive predictive value 81.3%, negative predictive value 94.1%, p < 0.001). The average score of the nodules according to the ACR TI-RADS was 3.57 ± 1.83 in benign nodules and 7.38 ± 2.69 in malignant nodules (p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study showed that combining SWE and TI-RADS improves the specificity of TI-RADS alone in differentiating benign and malignant nodules.

Human Papillomavirus Infection (HPV) Prevalence in the Black Sea Region of Turkey: Primary HPV Screening for Cervical Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Planning vaccination and treatment options requires knowledge about the regional incidence of human papillomavirus infection (HPV) and its genotypes. The aim of our study was to determine the regional prevalence of HPV with genotypic subclassification and to evaluate the efficacy of HPV testing in cervical screening.  Material and Method: This retrospective cohort study analyzed records of 10,152 women aged 30-65 from the On Dokuz Mayis University Medical Faculty's Gynecology Clinic, excluding those with a history of cervical disease, hysterectomy, or current pregnancy. Pre- and postmenopausal and total HPV prevalence were calculated. There was a total of 544 patients who underwent a colposcopic biopsy after cervical screening. The research focused on comparing the efficacy of Pap smears, HPV tests, and co-tests in detecting LSIL or more severe conditions, utilizing the BD Viper LT System for HPV screening and liquid-based cytology for smear tests. RESULTS: The prevalence of HPV in our region was determined to be 10.9%. When considering menopausal status, HPV prevalence was found to be 9.8% in premenopausal individuals and 12.4% in postmenopausal individuals. Evaluation of the pap smear results revealed a sensitivity of 74.8% for premenopausal and 81% for postmenopausal patients, with a specificity of 51% observed in both menopausal categories. In contrast, HPV testing demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.8% in premenopausal and 92.4% in postmenopausal individuals, with a specificity of 58% for both groups. The co-test results indicated an even higher sensitivity, with 97.9% in premenopausal and 100% in postmenopausal individuals, albeit with a reduced specificity of 28% in both cases. When identifying LSIL (low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions) and more severe conditions, the sensitivity and specificity of the primary HPV test surpassed those of the pap smear. While the primary HPV test's sensitivity is markedly lower compared to the co-test, it boasts a significantly higher specificity. CONCLUSION: Regional HPV prevalence studies are valuable for the implementation of screening policies. The primary HPV DNA test is a reliable method for detecting preinvasive and invasive lesions in patients over 30 years of age.

Assessment of the Psychological Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the mental health of the general population, leading to an increase in depression, anxiety and stress. The results of the studies on the psychological effects of the pandemic in patients with psychiatric illnesses were contradictory in that some reported higher adverse effects in patients with psychiatric illnesses compared to the healthy control subjects, whereas some did not. Thus, the aim of this study is to compare the patients with a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder and the healthy control subjects in terms of certain psychological parameters during the pandemic period. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 81 patients, who were diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and 80 healthy volunteers of matching characteristics were included in this study. Both the patient and control groups were administered a sociodemographic questionnaire, short form of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R). The resulting research data were analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of depression, stress, intrusion, hyperarousal and avoidance. On the other hand, the increase observed in the anxiety symptoms was found to be significant in the patient group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study revealed that the depression, stress and trauma-related stress responses of GAD patients have not differred during the COVID-19 pandemic period, whereas that their anxiety levels have increased significantly, as compared to the healthy control subjects. In this context, it is recommended that the clinicians take into consideration that the pandemic may lead to an increase in the symptoms of individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorder.

Malignant Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumor (PEComa) of the Uterus as Part of the Hereditary Cancer Syndrome: A Case Diagnosed with Multiple Malignancies.

A perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is an uncommon mesenchymal tumor composed of perivascular epithelioid cells. These tumor cells show variable immunoreactivity for both melanocytic and myogenic markers. Occurrence of PEComa has been reported at various anatomical sites, including the gynecological tract, uterus being the most common. Although most patients have sporadic PEComas, a subset may be associated with the inactivation of TSC1 or TSC2 genes and the occurrence of TFE3 gene fusions. However, a relationship between PEComas and other tumors is rare. We report a 41-year-old female patient with malignant PEComa who was admitted to the hospital with a complaint of vaginal bleeding. Because she had previously been diagnosed with colorectal and breast carcinomas at an early age, we performed a comprehensive genetic analysis to identify molecular alterations present in her background that unveiled multiple malignancy predispositions. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis revealed two heterozygous germline pathogenic variants in the ATM and TP53 genes and a heterozygous variant of unknown significance (VUS) in the BRCA2 gene. The patient was diagnosed with the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome owing to the medical and family history and also the presentation of a pathogenic mutation of the TP53 gene. There are very few case reports in the literature describing PEComa in the Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and this is the first report of a uterine PEComa in a patient with Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Laparoscopic resection of retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst clinically presenting like adrenal cyst.

Bronchogenic cyst that is localized to retroperitoneum is a rare clinical entity. It is a congenital malformation generally occuring in the posterior mediastinum due to abnormal development of the foregut. We report the case of a retroperitoneal cyst presented like left adrenal cyst. A 38 years old female was presented with left upper abdominal pain. Endocrinologic evaluation was done and no adrenal hormonal secretion was detected. The cyst was removed laparoscopically. It was confirmed in pathologic examination as a bronchogenic cyst. Bronchogenic cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of retroperitonal cysts. Laparoscopic resection of retroperitoneal cysts results in better outcome.

Age, GH/IGF-1 levels, tumor volume, T2 hypointensity, and tumor subtype rather than proliferation and invasion are all reliable predictors of biochemical response to somatostatin analogue therapy in patients with acromegaly: A clinicopathological study.

PURPOSE: To determine whether biochemical responses to long-acting forms of first-generation somatostatin analogue (SSA) therapy in patients with acromegaly could be predicted from baseline and postoperative hormone concentrations, and tumor radiological and histopathological characteristics. METHODS: A total of 68 patients with acromegaly for whom postoperative SSA therapy was started were categorized according to their responses to treatment (SSA-responders vs. non-responders). The patients were compared based on their demographic characteristics, hormone levels, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and histopathological findings. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed using the predictive factors that were significant in the univariate analysis to determinate the optimal cut-off values. RESULTS: The SSA-responders were significantly older (p = 0.041). Lower GH at diagnosis (p = 0.036), the postoperative 1st-week GH level (p = 0.027), baseline GH, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1% upper limit of normal (ULN) (p = 0.001, p = 0.006, p = 0.023, respectively) were associated with biochemical response. T2-hypointensity and lower tumor volume were more common in the SSA-responders (p = 0.018, p = 0.03, respectively). Compared to sparsely granulated somatotroph tumors, densely granulated somatotroph tumors and other PitNETs causing GH excess including mammosomatotroph and mixed somatotroph and lactotroph tumors were more likely to respond to SSA therapy (p = 0.026, p = 0.03, respectively). The cut-off values generated by ROC curve analysis were GH at diagnosis of ≤8.8 ng/mL, GH at baseline of ≤2.69 ng/mL, IGF-1 at baseline ≤461.5 ng/mL, IGF-1% ULN at baseline ≤180.4%, and tumor volume of ≤1.11 cm3 (all p < 0.05). There were no differences between the groups in terms of tumor invasiveness, proliferative activity (mitotic count per 2 mm2 and Ki-67 labeling index) and quantitative analyses of T2-weighted MRI. CONCLUSION: This study underscores that advanced age, low baseline GH and IGF-1 at diagnosis, low tumor volume, densely granulated tumor subtype, and T2 hypointensity may help predict biochemical response to SSA therapy in cases of acromegaly. These variables should be assessed with utmost attention for all patients prior to SSA treatment. In cases of possible resistance to SSA therapy, therapeutic activity should be monitored more closely and other therapies should be administered immediately in the event of poor response.

Clinicopathological variables that correlate with sestamibi positivity in uniglandular parathyroid disease: a retrospective analysis of 378 parathyroid adenomas.

PURPOSE: Technetium-99 m sestamibi parathyroid scintigraphy (MIBI scan) has been used to localize abnormal glands in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism to guide parathyroidectomy. This series aimed to identify the biochemical and histopathological correlates of MIBI scan findings in patients with parathyroid adenoma. METHODS: A total of 378 patients with histologically and biochemically proven parathyroid adenoma were included. The results of MIBI scan, histopathological (gland volume and weight, oxyphil cell ratio), biochemical (blood and 24 h urine calcium, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, parathormone, alkaline phosphate, and vitamin D3) variables were recorded. A positive uptake on the MIBI scan referred to a localized adenoma. Among histological variables, a cutoff of 30% was applied to define parathyroid adenomas with low (≤ 30%) and high (> 30%) oxyphil cell content. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the relationship among variables. RESULTS: MIBI scan localized the adenoma in 306 patients. Parathyroid gland volume and weight, and oxyphil ratio were significantly higher in the MIBI scan-positive group. Among the biochemical variables, only PTH was found to be significantly increased in the MIBI scan-positive group. Binary logistic regression models identified statistically significant cutoffs for the gland volume (1700 mm3), gland weight (1.3 g) and PTH levels (170 pg/mL) that can be used to predict the MIBI scan positivity. CONCLUSION: In addition to PTH levels, this series underscored the impact of cellular composition along with the parathyroid gland volume and weight, both of which correlate with sestamibi positivity in patients with benign uniglandular parathyroid disease.

PD-L1 Expression in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma and Its Association with Clinicopathological Findings.

< strong > Objective: < /strong > Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare tumor originating from parafollicular C cells. It has more aggressive biologic behavior than differentiated thyroid carcinomas, and it is insensitive to treatment with radioactive iodine. Vandetanib and cabozantinib are the newly approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors in advanced stages, but novel effective systemic therapeutics could be crucial and needed for the clinical management of these patients. We aimed to evaluate the Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, which is a novel immunotherapy target, in our MTC cohort, and determine whether it has an association with clinical and pathological features. < strong > Material and Method: < /strong > This retrospective study involved 41 cases of MTC with a median follow-up of 54 months. PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (SP263 clone) was investigated immunohistochemically. Complete and/or partial membranous staining pattern in more than 1% of tumor cells was considered positive. The correlations of PD-L1 expression with clinicopathologic and prognostic features were analyzed. < strong > Results: < /strong > PD-L1 positivity was detected in 5 (12.2%) of 41 tumors. The extent of PD-L1 staining was low ( < 5%) for all tumors. There was no clinicopathologic and prognostic relevance regarding PD-L1 expression in our MTC patients. < strong > Conclusion: < /strong > Although PD-L1 expression could be a potential biomarker to predict the prognosis of various cancers and response to checkpoint inhibitors, we did not find any significant correlation between PD-L1 expression and clinicopathologic features in our cases. Studies with larger patient numbers are still required to perform a more comprehensive analysis.

Comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis based on the origin of leiomyosarcoma.

Diagnostic criteria, biological behavior, and treatment approaches of leiomyosarcomas (LMS) may differ according to the origin of the tumor. This is important in terms of patient's management, especially in tumors located in the peritoneum and retroperitoneal sites. In our study, we aimed to demonstrate the immunophenotypic characteristics of uterine and extra-uterine LMS using a large antibody panel, and to determine whether they potentially play a role in the differences among these tumor groups. Between 2006 and 2018, 29 uterine and 42 extra-uterine primary LMS were included in this study. Using tissue samples taken from the areas that best represented the tumor, an immunohistochemical study was performed on the blocks prepared by tissue micro-array method with estrogen and progesterone receptor (PR), WT-1, SMA, desmin, caldesmon, calponin, p16, p53, MDM2, CDK4, bcl-2, cyclin D1, fascin, EMMPRIN, FOXM1, c-erb-B2, c-Myc, PAX8, and CD117. Staining results of uterine and extra-uterine LMS were evaluated with these 20 antibodies. In uterine LMS compared with extra-uterine LMS, estrogen receptor (48% vs. 12%), PR (62% vs. 21%), desmin (79% vs. 50%), and EMMPRIN (69% vs. 45%) staining rate was detected higher. In extra-uterine LMS, caldesmon (88% vs. 69%), c-Myc (33% vs. 10%), and cyclin D1 (52% vs. 28%) were stained higher than uterine LMS (p < 0.05). No significant staining difference was detected with other antibodies. We concluded that estrogen receptor, PR, desmin, EMMPRIN, caldesmon, c-Myc, and cyclin D1 antibodies may help to determine primary origin of the tumor in LMS cases.

Diffusion-weighted MRI at 3T in Endometrial Cancer: Correlation of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient with Histopathological Prognostic Parameters.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for the differentiation of histological subtypes in endometrial cancer, and to assess if ADC values correlate with histopathological parameters. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University between January 2016 and December 2019. METHODOLOGY: Eighty-three patients (mean age: 60.28 ± 9.07) with endometrial cancer underwent diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at 3T before surgery. The mean ADC (ADCmean) and minimum ADC (ADCmin) values of the tumours were assessed to predict histological subtype of endometrial cancer, grade of tumour, presence of myometrial invasion, lower uterine segment involvement, cervical involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Sixty patients (72.3%) were diagnosed with endometrioid carcinoma, and 23 patients (27.7%) were diagnosed with non-endometrioid carcinoma. The median ADCmean/ADCmin of endometrioid and non-endometrioid tumours were 0.72/0.58 ×10-3 mm2/s and 0.82/0.63 ×10-3 mm2/s, respectively. ADCmean and ADCmin were significantly different between endometrioid and non-endometrioid tumours (p=0.016 and p=0.048). For the endometrioid carcinomas, ADCmean and ADCmin were significantly different between low-grade (G1 and G2) and high-grade (G3) tumours (ADCmean/ADCmin = 0.75/0.65 vs. 0.59/0.49 x10-3 mm2/s, p=0.010 and p=0.013). Myometrial invasion, lymphovascular invasion, cervical involvement, lower uterine involvement, serosal involvement and lymph node metastasis were not significantly associated with ADC values. CONCLUSION: ADC measurements were useful for differentiating endometrioid and non-endometrioid carcinomas. High-grade endometrioid carcinomas had significantly lower ADC values compared to low-grade ones. Key Words: Endometrial cancer, Diffusion-weighted MRI, Apparent diffusion coefficient, Prognostic factors, Histological grade.

Comparison of 5 Thyroid Ultrasound Stratification Systems for Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Nodules and to Avoid Biopsy Using Histology as Reference Standard.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the thyroid ultrasound risk stratification systems (RSSs) of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS), European TI-RADS, Korean TI-RADS, and American Thyroid Association (ATA), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Endocrinology, and Associazione Medici Endocrinologi guidelines to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules and to avoid unnecessary fine needle aspiration (FNA). METHODS: The records of 1143 nodules ≥1 cm that underwent FNA biopsy and thyroidectomy between 2012 and 2020 at our institution were reviewed. Ultrasound categories and FNA recommendation indications of 5 international RSSs were compared with histopathological findings as benign or malignant. The ultrasound categories and recommended FNA indications, the proportion of the avoidable FNA procedures, and false negative rates (FNRs) by different systems were compared with each other. RESULTS: Of the 1143 nodules, 45% had thyroid malignancy. FNA recommendation and ultrasound risk classification of ATA guidelines had the highest area under curves of 0.619, and 0.715, respectively. ACR TI-RADS, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists/American College of Endocrinology/Associazione Medici Endocrinologi guidelines, European TI-RADS, ATA guidelines, and Korean TI-RADS would have avoided FNA for 34.7%, 31%, 25.7%, 20%, and 6% of nodules with an FNR of 24%, 28.5%, 22%, 7.2%, and 1.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that all RSSs classified the nodules appropriately for malignancy. ATA guidelines had the highest area under curves and a low FNR, whereas ACR TI-RADS would have spared more patients from FNA with a high FNR.

Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Metabolic Phenotype of Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma.

Metabolic reprogramming is a cellular process contributing to carcinogenesis. However, it remains poorly understood in adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC), an aggressive malignancy with overall poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. We characterized the metabolic phenotype of ACC, by examining the immunoprofile of key proteins involved in glucose metabolism, hexokinase (HK1), pyruvate kinase (PKM1, PKM2), succinate dehydrogenase (SDHB), and phospho-S6 ribosomal protein (pS6), in a tissue microarray of 137 adrenal cortical tissue samples. Protein expression was compared between ACC (n = 42), adrenal cortical adenoma (ACA; n = 50), and normal adrenal cortical tissue samples (n = 45). Cytoplasmic expression of HK1 and PKM2 was significantly higher in ACC than in ACA (p < 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively) or normal adrenal cortical tissue samples (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Expression of HK1 and PKM2 was also higher in ACA than in normal adrenal cortical tissue samples (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). PKM1 expression was overall low in ACC, ACA, and normal samples, although expression of PKM1 was higher in ACC than in ACA (p = 0.027). There was no loss of cytoplasmic granular SDHB expression in our cohort of adrenal cortical tumors, and cytoplasmic expression of pS6 was lower in ACC than in ACA (p = 0.003) or normal adrenal cortical tissue samples (p = 0.008). Significantly, HK1 expression correlated with pyruvate kinase isoform (PKM2 and PKM1) expression (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively). Although functional validation was not performed, this study provides further evidence that metabolic reprogramming and altered glucose metabolism may occur in a subset of ACC through overexpression of intracellular glycolytic enzymes, notably HK1 and PKM2. The possibility of utilizing the reprogrammed glucose metabolism in ACC for novel therapeutic strategies should be explored in future studies.

Do You Know the Details of Your PAX8 Antibody? Monoclonal PAX8 (MRQ-50) Is Not Expressed in a Series of 45 Medullary Thyroid Carcinomas.

Medullary thyroid carcinomas display cytologic and architectural features that can simulate various primary and metastatic neoplasms. PAX8 immunoexpression in neuroendocrine neoplasms yielded antibody-dependent findings. Since the data regarding the expression profile of monoclonal PAX8 (MRQ-50) antibody is limited in large series of medullary thyroid carcinomas, this study investigated the expression profile of PAX8 (MRQ-50) in a series of 45 medullary thyroid carcinomas. PAX8 (MRQ-50) expression was noted in the thyroid follicular epithelial cells surrounding the tumor and was negative in all medullary thyroid carcinomas. In addition, twenty medullary thyroid carcinomas showed scattered entrapped thyroid follicular epithelial cells at the periphery of the tumor. Entrapped follicular epithelial cells were positive for PAX8 and thyroglobulin, and were negative for monoclonal CEA and calcitonin. A panel approach combining monoclonal antibodies to transcription factors, hormones and cell-specific peptides often assist diagnosticians in the workup of the cellular origin of a neuroendocrine neoplasm. Since PAX8 immunostaining is dependent on the antibody characteristics in neuroendocrine neoplasms, pathologists should be aware of the details of the PAX8 antibody used in a particular case.

The Frequency of Human Papilloma Virus in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

The association of HPV in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is investigated in several studies but controversial results are established. This study aimed to investigate the HPV DNA positivity in LSCC patients diagnosed and treated in two otorhinolaryngology referral centres in northern region of Turkey. The study was planned as a retrospective investigation of LSCC patients. Fifty-two formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks of laryngeal cancers-diagnosed and treated between 2010 and 2016, were included. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used for detection of HPV genotypes. PCR amplification was successful in 40 of 52 patients. Among the 40 LSCC samples, HPV DNA was detected in one patient (2.5%). The evaluated HPV positivity in LSCC as low; but larger studies are needed to confirm this.

GATA3 immunoreactivity expands the transcription factor profile of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors.

The modern classification of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors relies mainly on immunohistochemistry for pituitary transcription factors, hormones, and other biomarkers, including low molecular weight cytokeratins. The transcription factor GATA2 is required for development of gonadotrophs and thyrotrophs but has not been used for classification of pituitary tumors. Because of genomic paralogy of GATA2 and GATA3, we postulated that GATA3 immunohistochemistry may detect GATA2 in the adenohypophysis. We examined 151 tumors originating from Ondokuz Mayis University, Turkey (n = 83) and University Health Network, Canada (n = 68). Initially, 83 tumors (26 gonadotroph, 24 somatotroph, 17 corticotroph, 12 lactotroph, 2 poorly differentiated Pit-1 lineage tumors that expressed TSH and 2 null cell tumors) from Ondokuz Mayis University were investigated with the GATA3 monoclonal antibody L50-823. Retrospective review of the files of University Health Network identified 68 tumors (43 gonadotroph, 3 somatotroph, 2 lactotroph, 1 mammosomatotroph, 9 corticotroph, 7 poorly differentiated Pit-1 lineage tumors with TSH expression, 2 plurihormonal tumors with TSH expression and 1 null cell tumor) that were examined with the same GATA3 antibody and served as a validation cohort. All somatotroph, lactotroph and mammosomatotroph tumors and the null cell tumors were negative for GATA3. Sixty-eight (98.5%) gonadotroph tumors were positive for GATA3; 64 had diffuse reactivity. Two plurihormonal tumors with TSH expression and eight (88.8%) poorly differentiated Pit-1 lineage tumors with variable TSH expression were positive for GATA3. One of 26 (3.8%) corticotroph tumors was diffusely positive for GATA3. This study shows that GATA3 immunoreactivity is characteristic of pituitary gonadotroph and TSH-producing tumors. This finding expands the pattern of transcription factors that are used to classify adenohypophysial tumors and is important in the differential diagnosis of sellar tumors, as GATA3 expression is also a feature of primary sellar paragangliomas as well as carcinomas that may metastasize to the sella.

Laparoscopic resection of retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst clinically presenting as adrenal cyst.

Bronchogenic cyst localized in the retroperitoneum is a rare clinical entity. It is a congenital malformation generally occurring in the posterior mediastinum due to the abnormal development of the foregut. We report the case of a retroperitoneal cyst presenting as left adrenal cyst. A 38-year-old female presented with left upper abdominal pain. Endocrinological evaluation was done, and no adrenal hormonal secretion was detected. The cyst was removed laparoscopically. Pathologic examination confirmed it as a bronchogenic cyst. Therefore, bronchogenic cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal cysts. Laparoscopic resection of retroperitoneal cysts results in favorable outcome.

Cervical Cancer Presenting as an Omental Cake.

In women, peritoneal carcinomatosis usually originates from primary ovarian cancer. We report a case of omental cake as the initial presentation of a cervical cancer, which is extremely rare for this disease. F-FDG PET/CT imaging demonstrated diffuse hypermetabolic abdominopelvic peritoneal carcinomatosis originating from cervical cancer that was confirmed by histopathologically.

Risk factors associated with malignancy and with triage to surgery in thyroid nodules classified as Bethesda category IV (FN/SFN).

BACKGROUND: Thyroid nodules diagnosed as Bethesda category IV [follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN)] are recommended for surgery. However, only 10%-40% of these nodules turn out to be malignant on histopathological examination. Therefore, selection for surgery of nodules diagnosed as Bethesda category IV is important. We aimed to define predictive factors for malignancy and factors associated with triage to surgery. METHODS: The records of all patients with nodules who underwent fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and classified by Bethesda reporting system as FN/SFN between January 2011 and July 2017 at our institution were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to select independent factors associated with thyroid cancer, and with triage to surgery. Using independent risk factors for malignancy predictive index categories were created. RESULTS: Among 6910 nodules that underwent FNAB, 180 (2.6%) were diagnosed as FN/SFN. Of the 180 patients, 139 (77%) underwent surgery with the associated malignancy rate of 37% (51/139) (upper boundary). Risk of malignancy among all FN/SFN nodules was 28% (lower boundary). Solid structure, size ≥ 4 cm, microcalcification, hypoechogenicity, and increased vascularization were found to be significant and independent risk factors associated for malignancy. None of the clinical and ultrasound factors were associated with triage to surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that using predictive factors for malignancy in the Bethesda IV category as risk indices, 17% of patients who had nodules without any risk factors could be spared surgery. Predictive indices could be considered for the malignancy risk and for selection of patients for surgery.