Utility of outpatient fractionated radioiodine therapy for Graves disease involving a large goiter measuring more than 100 mL in volume.

Contrary to large multinodular goiters, reports on 131I radioiodine therapy (RIT) for Graves disease (GD) involving a large goiter are scarce. We retrospectively reviewed a total of 71 consecutive patients (25 males, 46 females) with GD involving a large goiter (>100 mL) who had received RIT in our clinic. Patients with a history of thyroid surgery or with large thyroid nodules and those who had dropped out less than one year after the initial RIT session were excluded. A fixed 131I activity of 481 MBq was administered in most cases. RIT was repeated at intervals of 1-47 months, typically 3-6 months. The follow-up duration after the initial RIT session was 13-233 (median: 81) months. The thyroid volume was estimated using ultrasound. The number of 131I doses were 1 dose in 13 patients, 2 doses in 29, 3 doses in 17, 4 doses in 5, 5 doses in 5, 6 doses in 1, and 8 doses in 1. Sixty-six patients had remission from overt hyperthyroidism after RIT: overt hypothyroidism in 45 patients, subclinical hypothyroidism or euthyroidism in 13, and subclinical hyperthyroidism in 8. Their thyroid volume decreased from 101-481 (median: 126) mL to 1.4-37 (8.2) mL. Three patients still had overt hyperthyroidism under treatment with methimazole after one to three doses, and two dropped out less than six months after the third or sixth dose. Even in GD patients with a large goiter (>100 mL), repeated RIT with an activity of 481 MBq could sufficiently shrink goiters and remit overt hyperthyroidism.

Ionizing radiation for maternal medical indications.

Ionizing radiation should be considered an avoidable exposure although all pregnant women receive some radiation from their environment. The potential effect of ionizing radiation on the fetus is determined by the dose and the timing of the exposure with growing interest in the potential risks of transgenerational effects of radiation as an epigenetic phenomenon. High dosage exposure is very unlikely in routine situations such as occupational, diagnostic, or therapeutic exposures. Individual diagnostic radiation procedures (fetal dosage <50 mGy), are not associated with any increase in lethality (miscarriage or stillbirth), genetic damage, teratogenicity, growth impairment, mental retardation, or sterility. More recent modeling has suggested that a 10 mGy fetal dose is associated with an excess risk of childhood cancer risk as low as 1 in 4545, well below historical estimates.When the mother's condition necessitates diagnostic radiation it is necessary to balance the risks of the procedure with the benefits to be gained. As almost all diagnostic imaging involves doses below the 50 mGy threshold, clinically indicated investigations should not be withheld because of concerns regarding fetal radiation exposure. Even radiotherapy directed away from the abdomen or pelvis may be considered during pregnancy, if the benefits outweigh the risks and no suitable alternative is available.

Estimation and reduction of the radiation dose to the fetus from external-beam radiotherapy.

The appearance of a malignant disease during pregnancy is relatively rare. The use of external-beam radiation therapy is limited to non-pelvic tumors which are usually located above the diaphragm. However, supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy unavoidably exposes the fetus to secondary radiation due to head leakage, scatter from the machine and scatter produced inside the patient. This fetal exposure may be associated with an elevated risk for the development of deterministic harmful effects and/or carcinogenesis. The decision about the administration of radiotherapy in a pregnant patient is influenced by the fetal dose which must always be estimated before the patient's treatment course. The methods employed for fetal dosimetry in external-beam radiotherapy are described in this review study. Direct dose measurements using thermoluminescent dosemeters or large ionization chambers placed on physical phantoms may be used. Monte Carlo simulations on computational phantoms may also provide accurate fetal dose calculations. The physical and/or computational phantoms need to simulate the full-scatter geometry of the pregnant patient. Typical fetal dose values attributable to radiation therapy for brain tumors, head and neck cancer, breast carcinoma and Hodgkin lymphoma at the first, second and third trimesters of gestation are presented. The effectiveness of different shielding devices for fetal dose reduction in radiotherapy is discussed. The effect of the dimensions and setup of the shielding material on the radiation dose received by the fetus is described. Moreover, practical methods for reducing the fetal dose by selecting the appropriate irradiation parameters are presented.

Long-term results of the treatment of pregnancy-induced striae distensae using a 1550-nm non-ablative fractional laser.

BACKGROUND: Striae distensae (SD) are a type of dermal scarring that is quite common and difficult to treat. Two forms are known: striae rubrae (SR) and striae albae (SA). OBJECTIVE: We compared the long-term clinical effectiveness of a 1550-nm non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL) in treating SR and SA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 16 female patients (8 with SR and 8 with SA) who had developed abdominal SD during pregnancy. All underwent five moderately high-energy sessions of 1550-nm NAFL treatment at 4-week intervals. The strial widths and lengths were measured before, and 1 month and 1 year after treatment. RESULTS: The mean strial width decreased from 6.94 mm before treatment to 3.25 mm at the first follow-up visit (p = 3.95 × 10-5) and to 3.13 mm at the second follow-up visit (p = 2.44 × 10-5). Similarly, the mean strial length decreased from 6.06 to 2.88 cm at the first follow-up visit (p = 1.7 × 10-4) and to 2.75 cm at the second follow-up visit (p = 9.52 × 10-5). CONCLUSION: NAFL treatment was effective long term in both SR and SA patients.

No Adverse Effects After Radioiodine Treatment at 3 Weeks of Pregnancy.

Radioactive iodine is used for the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Because it accumulates in the fetal thyroid, its administration during pregnancy may cause severe and potentially irreversible hypothyroidism in neonates, with consequent mental retardation, and it is contraindicated during the whole pregnancy. We present a case of a pregnant woman inadvertently treated with 1 mCi (37 MBq) of I in the earliest period of pregnancy and subsequently gave birth to a male infant without signs or symptoms of hypothyroidism or any other damage. This case illustrates that when radioactive iodine administration happens around the third week of gestation pregnancy outcome can be normal.

Management of rheumatic and autoimmune blistering disease in pregnancy and postpartum.

The treatment of rheumatic and autoimmune skin disease in women who are pregnant or of childbearing potential can present challenges to the dermatologist. We discuss the current approaches to treating lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, dermatomyositis, morphea and systemic sclerosis, mixed connective tissue disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune blistering disease in such patients. In the appropriate setting, topical and systemic corticosteroids, hydroxychloroquine, dapsone, azathioprine, and ultraviolet B phototherapy may be safely and cautiously used during pregnancy. Considerations about contraception, planned conception, therapeutic options, and disease control are paramount in optimizing pregnancy outcomes and minimizing risks to both mother and fetus.

Fetal dose measurements and shielding efficiency assessment in a custom setup of (192)Ir brachytherapy for a pregnant woman with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To assess the radiation dose to the fetus of a pregnant patient undergoing high-dose-rate (HDR) (192)Ir interstitial breast brachytherapy, and to design a new patient setup and lead shielding technique that minimizes the fetal dose. METHODS: Radiochromic films were placed between the slices of an anthropomorphic phantom modeling the patient. The pregnant woman was seated in a chair with the breast over a table and inside a leaded box. Dose variation as a function of distance from the implant volume as well as dose homogeneity within a representative slice of the fetal position was evaluated without and with shielding. RESULTS: With shielding, the peripheral dose after a complete treatment ranged from 50 cGy at 5 cm from the caudal edge of the breast to <0.1 cGy at 30 cm. The shielding reduces absorbed dose by a factor of two near the breast and more than an order of magnitude beyond 20 cm. The dose is heterogeneous within a given axial plane, with variations from the central region within 50%. Interstitial HDR (192)Ir brachytherapy with breast shielding can be more advantageous than external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) from a radiation protection point of view, as long as the distance to the uterine fundus is higher than about 10 cm. Furthermore, the weight of the shielding here proposed is notably lower than that needed in EBRT. CONCLUSIONS: Shielded breast brachytherapy may benefit pregnant patients needing localized radiotherapy, especially during the early gestational ages when the fetus is more sensitive to ionizing radiation.

Photon-beam radiotherapy in pregnant patients: can the fetal dose be limited to 10 cGy or less?

PURPOSE: To estimate fetal dose and its components from three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for several malignancies presented during pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fetal dose was measured from radiotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma and for tumors in the region of nasopharynx, breast and lung. Anthropomorphic phantoms were used to simulate an average pregnant patient at the first, second and third trimesters of gestation. Thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLD) were employed for fetal dose measurements. Phantom exposures were also performed to estimate fetal dose due to head leakage, scatter from collimators and beam modifiers and scatter generated inside the phantom (Din). All treatments were delivered for 6 MV photon beams. RESULTS: Radiotherapy of Hodgkin's lymphoma resulted in a fetal dose of 5.6-57.9 cGy depending upon the gestational age and the distance between the fetal level and the field edge. The corresponding dose ranges for treatment of nasopharyngeal, breast and lung cancer was 4.0-17.1 cGy, 3.9-24.8 cGy and 5.7-74.3 cGy, respectively. The Din at the first trimester of gestation was always smaller than 10 cGy for all examined malignancies. Pregnancy progression resulted in Din values above or below 10 cGy depending upon the treatment site and gestational age. CONCLUSION: This study provides data about the fetal exposure and the contribution of Din to the total fetal dose from conformal radiation therapy. The Din knowledge prior to patient's irradiation enables radiation oncologists and medical physicists to decide whether fetal dose may be limited to 10 cGy or less with or without the introduction of special shielding materials.

[Indication and contraindication of radioiodine therapy for Graves' disease].

All patients with Graves' disease are potential candidates for radioiodine therapy with I-131 except during pregnancy and breast feeding. In addition, for those who wish to have babies, at least 6 months of contraception should be observed after administration of I-131 in a therapeutic dose. On top of its famous role as the last resort after severe adverse reaction to antithyroid drugs or at relapse after surgery, this method is also very suitable for subjects who prefer a safe and sure way of cure from hyperthyroidism rather than a prolonged and sometimes unpredictable drug regimen, and for those who wish to reduce their goiter size. Moreover, under exceptional circumstances, children can be treated with radioiodine. Patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy should be followed up closely after I-131 therapy to rule out aggravation of their eye disease.

Congenital hypothyroidism due to maternal radioactive iodine exposure during pregnancy.

Radioactive iodine (RAI) is used effectively in the treatment of hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer, but it is contraindicated during pregnancy. RAI treatment during pregnancy can lead to fetal hypothyroidism, mental retardation and increased malignancy risk in the infant. Pregnancy tests must be performed before treatment in all women of reproductive age. However, at times, RAI is being used before ruling out pregnancy. We herein present a male newborn infant with congenital hypothyroidism whose mother was given a three-week course of methimazole therapy for her multiple hyperactive nodules and subsequently received 20 mCi RAI during the 12th week of her pregnancy. The patient was referred to our neonatology unit at age two weeks when his thyrotropin (TSH) level was reported to be high in the neonatal screening test. Physical examination was normal. Laboratory investigations revealed hypothyroidism (free triiodothyronine 1.55 pg/mL, free thyroxine 2.9 pg/mL, TSH 452 mU/L, thyroglobulin 20.1 ng/mL). The thyroid gland could not be visualized by ultrasonography. L-thyroxine treatment was initiated.

A case of recurrent impetigo herpetiformis treated with systemic corticosteroids and narrowband UVB.

Impetigo herpetiformis is a rare pustular eruption with usual onset during the third trimester of pregnancy. The disease tends to remit after delivery, but may recur in subsequent pregnancies. Here we present a recurrent case of impetigo herpetiformis with earlier onset and poor response to corticosteroids in the subsequent pregnancy. She had widespread, erythematosquamous patches with tiny superficial pustules in the third trimester of her first pregnancy. Histopathological and clinical findings were consistent with impetigo herpetiformis. She was treated with systemic prednisolone and had a healthy baby without any complication. Three years later, the patient presented with impetigo herpetiformis again in the second trimester of her second pregnancy. After six weeks of oral prednisolone treatment, the lesions improved, but there were still new pustule formations and narrowband ultraviolet B treatment was added. Skin eruption cleared and she had a healthy baby in the 38th week of her second pregnancy. The corticosteroid dose was tapered gradually and stopped after delivery. Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial in impetigo herpetiformis because of the risk of maternal and fetal complications. When prednisolone is not enough to control the eruption alone, narrowband UVB can safely be added to the treatment.

[Narrowband UV-B, monochromatic excimer laser, and photodynamic therapy in psoriasis: a consensus statement of the Spanish Psoriasis Group]. / Documento de consenso de fototerapia en psoriasis del Grupo Español de Psoriasis: ultravioleta B de banda estrecha (UVBBE), láser y fuentes monocromáticas de excímeros y terapia fotodinámica.

Novel treatment strategies and new information concerning the management of moderate to severe psoriasis justify a reassessment of the role of the classic therapies in this setting. This consensus statement evaluates narrowband UV-B therapy, which is currently considered the phototherapy option of choice in psoriasis because of its risk-to-benefit ratio. The role of excimer laser and photodynamic therapies are also discussed. These targeted therapies are still only available in a small number of centers in Spain and are used principally in the treatment of localized and recalcitrant forms of psoriasis. We discuss the efficacy and safety of phototherapy as well as treatment regimens, combination therapy, and clinical considerations relating to the characteristics of the patient or the disease.

[Narrow-band UVB therapy in psoriasis vulgaris: good practice guideline and recommendations of the French Society of Photodermatology]. / La photothérapie UVB à spectre étroit dans le psoriasis vulgaire : utilisation pratique et préconisations de la Société Française de Photodermatologie.

BACKGROUND: Phototherapy, PUVA therapy and narrow-band UVB are recognised forms of first-line therapy for extensive and severe plaque psoriasis. Based on a systematic review of the medical literature, we propose a good practice guideline for the use of narrow-band UVB phototherapy in this indication. METHODS: We carried out a review of the literature published over the 20 years (1998 to 2009) in the online PubMed database. Our conclusions are based on the results of control studies or where these are absent, on a synthesis of the recommendations common practice approved by the experts of the French Society of Photodermatology. The levels of scientific proof given are based on the criteria defined by Sackett. RESULTS RECOMMENDATIONS: (1) Practical aspects. Irradiation cabins equipped with Philips TL01 tubes, either for monotherapy (42 tubes) or for combined therapy (21 UVB tubes and 21 UVA tubes), were to be certified (CE marking, ISO-DIN certification) and equipped with an accurate dosimetry system. Several valid and usable protocols exist. The indication was based on the severity and extent of the episode of psoriasis, the psychological consequences of the dermatosis, comparison of the benefit/risk ratios of the various available treatments, the ability of the patient to attend sessions (a vital factor in therapeutic compliance), the cumulative doses of UV from previous courses of treatment, and absence of contraindications, including the use of photosensitising medication. Informed consent was to be obtained from patients, who were given a validated information sheet (available at www.sfdermato.org). The study results and the value of maintenance therapy were not confirmed. (2) Adverse effects. The immediate adverse effects were generally of little consequence, with later effects alone posing problems. Because of the risk of induction of cataract, ocular protection must be used during sessions. In the absence of symptoms or known ocular disorder, prior ophthalmologic control is not considered necessary. The risk of skin cancer remains poorly defined, and this risk has not been clearly shown to be lower than with broad-spectrum UVB therapy or PUVA. The studies give no indication of the number of sessions after which therapy must be completely discontinued. In the absence of clear evaluation of oncogenic risk, it seems reasonable to set the maximum number of sessions of UVB TL01 phototherapy at 250 as with PUVA, and to include in this limit the total of all PUVA and TL01 phototherapy sessions for patients receiving both types of phototherapy (level of proof: B). In the absence of lesions requiring treatment in these areas, the face and male genital organs should be protected during treatment sessions. There is no currently available data concerning carcinogenic risk induced by TL01 in patients also on cyclosporine, methotrexate or biotherapies. In order to reduce risk and maintain patients' capacity to undergo further phototherapy sessions, we suggest (level of proof: A) the following measures: strict patient selection, use of combined synergistic therapies, annual examination of the skin and appendages of subjects receiving more than 150 phototherapy sessions, and the creation of nationally accessible patient phototherapy files. (3) Combined treatments. The purpose of such treatment is twofold: to reduce the risk of adverse effects while increasing the efficacy of TL01 phototherapy. Lesions should be sloughed before the start of phototherapy. Synergistic effects have been demonstrated for dermal corticosteroids and tazarotene, but such effects are less noticeable with topical vitamin D3 derivatives. If there are no contraindications to its prescription, we feel that acitretine has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing the effect of TL01 phototherapy. (4) Efficacy. Narrow-spectrum UVB phototherapy is considered highly effective in extensive psoriasis. At a rate of three sessions per week, it results in complete (or almost complete) eradication of lesions in 60 to 90 % of patients within 20 to 40 sessions (level of proof: A). However, the efficacy of this therapy varies according to plaque size and noticeably better results are obtained in guttate and nummular psoriasis than in psoriasis involving large plaques. CONCLUSION: Narrow-spectrum UVB phototherapy offers a good alternative to PUVA therapy since concomitant psoralen is not required, but there are few immediate adverse effects, there is less risk of drug-induced photosensitisation, and there is no need for skin or ocular photoprotection after sessions. We recommend this approach as the first-line phototherapy (level of proof: A) in children and adolescents, and in adults with extensive moderate psoriasis involving small superficial plaques. It may also be used in pregnant or breastfeeding women and in patients with renal or hepatic insufficiency. In addition, it is preferable for HIV-positive subjects (level of proof: C). However, PUVA therapy is preferable as first-line treatment in extensive severe psoriasis involving large thick plaques (level of proof: A) and in adults of phototypes IV to VI (level of proof: B); it should also be contemplated for psoriasis refractory to UVB TL01 (level of proof: B).

[Antiphospholipid syndrome correction in pregnant and parturient women by the combined methods therapy].

The aim of investigation was antiphospholipid syndrome correction of pregnant and parturient women by combined methods of therapy. 250 women aged 20-43 years with habitual noncarrying of pregnancy (unclear genesis) have been under investigation.The changes in hemostasis system caused by destruction of immune system lead to development and progressing of pathological process in pregnant women. The research showed the positive effect of the combined therapy strategy of plasmapheresis and ultraviolet irradiation of blood: pregnant women with antiphospholipid syndrome in 42% cases delivered mature fetus.

Generalized pustular psoriasis of pregnancy treated with narrowband UVB and topical steroids.

A 19-year-old primigravida with a long history of plaque psoriasis presented during the second trimester with exacerbation of the disease. Examination revealed widespread psoriatic plaques with peripheral pustules. She was diagnosed with generalized pustular psoriasis of pregnancy. Histology of lesional skin was consistent with pustular psoriasis. Topical corticosteroids under occlusion resulted in only partial improvement. Hence, narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy was added at 27 weeks gestation, which resulted in clinical and symptomatic improvement. This is the first case report of generalized pustular psoriasis of pregnancy treated successfully with narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy.