The utility of post-diagnostic imaging in cases of atypical endometrial hyperplasia.

AIM: To contribute to the evidence base evaluating the usefulness of preoperative imaging in management of atypical endometrial hyperplasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-centre retrospective observational study was conducted comparing preoperative, post-diagnostic radiological staging with surgicopathological staging. The effect on patient management and any changes in final histological diagnosis were recorded. RESULTS: There were 38 patients who underwent preoperative imaging (32 magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], one MRI and computed tomography [CT], three CT, and two transvaginal ultrasound) for atypical endometrial hyperplasia from 2007 to 2018. Thirty-four women subsequently underwent surgery. The final histopathological diagnosis was upgraded to cancer in 35% (12/34) and downgraded in 38% (13/34). There was good concordance between preoperative CT/MRI and surgicopathological staging. Of the 12 patients with a malignant diagnosis, all were early-stage disease with 11/12 stage IA and 1/12 stage IB. CONCLUSION: Preoperative staging with CT/MRI for atypical endometrial hyperplasia contributed no useful additional information, made no change to patient management, and is therefore not indicated.

Continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring in thyroidectomy using automatic periodic stimulation in 256 at-risk nerves.

INTRODUCTION: Automatic periodic stimulation of the vagal nerve during thyroidectomy provides real-time feedback of recurrent laryngeal nerve function intraoperatively. To assess the validity of this device, the ability of monitoring to predict recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was determined and the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy recorded. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All thyroidectomies using APS® (Automatic Periodic Stimulation, Medtronic) nerve monitoring were reviewed over a 27-month period. Changes in signal amplitude and latency during thyroidectomy were recorded from saved data. Postoperative fibreoptic laryngoscopy determined the incidence of vocal cord immobility and recovery of nerve function was assessed from follow-up letters. RESULTS: A total of 256 at-risk nerves were examined (132 hemi- and 62 total thyroidectomies) in cases involving benign and malignant disease. Permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in six (2.3%) lobectomies and transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in two lobectomies (< 1%). Sensitivity for detecting postoperative vocal cord immobility was 100% and specificity 85% if the end amplitude was 50% below baseline. The positive predictive value when amplitude was 50% below baseline was 18%. The negative predictive value when amplitude was 50% above or equal to baseline was 100%. Intraoperatively, the amplitude was 50% below baseline more frequently in the vocal cord immobility group (t-test, P < 0.015). No vagal nerve complications occurred. CONCLUSION: Whilst the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy is comparable to rates in the literature, the incidence of transient palsy is lower than published averages. APS is able to reliably predict recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy based on end amplitude.

Sedation for vitreoretinal surgery: a comparison of anaesthetist-administered midazolam and patient-controlled sedation with propofol.

Local anaesthesia is increasingly being used for vitreoretinal surgery, but the optimal technique for sedation remains unclear. Anaesthetist-administered midazolam, which is often used, was compared in this study to patient-controlled sedation with propofol in 43 patients undergoing 50 vitreoretinal procedures. A variety of patient, anaesthetist and surgical endpoints were measured. There were no significant outcome differences between the two agents except that midazolam produced more amnesia for the local anaesthetic eye block. However, several outcomes and the observations in patients who experienced both agents showed a trend in favour of propofol for intraoperative sedation. We conclude that both approaches are safe and that patient-controlled sedation with propofol is at least as satisfactory as anaesthetist-administered midazolam.

Capillary fragility in elderly in-patients.

Capillary fragility has been examined in 110 elderly patients, excluding those patients who might have been expected to have abnormal fragility. Nonetheless, fragility appeared to be greater in elderly patients than in younger subjects. It was much increased in the non-paralysed arm of hemiplegic patients but not in the paralysed arm--perhaps because petechiae were obscured by trophic changes. Capillary fragility was significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure but not with age. This suggests that higher values in elderly patients may be related to the high prevalence of arteriosclerosis rather than to age itself.

Residues in cattle treated with DDT for control of horn flies on pasture.

Residues were analyzed in the fat of yearlings after exposure on pasture to continuous protection from horn flies with spray treatments of DDT. Eleven applications of 2 quarts of a 0.25 per cent suspension per head produced total residues of DDT, TDE and DDE that exceeded the acceptable tolerance of 7 p.p.m. when animals had reached the prime slaughterweight on a high-energy finishing ration. More information is needed on the mobilization of fat and the DDT stored within the depot to relate an acceptable tolerance for slaughter cattle to practical methods in beef production.