Machine Learning Prediction of Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation Efficacy: A New Option to Optimize Thyroid Nodule Selection.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency (RF) is a therapeutic modality for reducing the volume of large benign thyroid nodules. If thermal therapies are interpreted as an alternative strategy to surgery, critical issues in their use are represented by the extent of nodule reduction and by the durability of nodule reduction over a long period of time. OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of machine learning to discriminate nodules with volume reduction rate (VRR) < or ≥50% at 12 months following RF treatment. METHODS: A machine learning model was trained with a dataset of 402 cytologically benign thyroid nodules subjected to RF at six Italian Institutions. The model was trained with the following variables: baseline nodule volume, echostructure, macrocalcalcifications, vascularity, and 12-month VRR. RESULTS: After training, the model could distinguish between nodules having VRR <50% from those having VRR ≥50% in 85% of cases (accuracy: 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80-0.90; sensitivity: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.62-0.75; specificity: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98-1.0; positive predictive value: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.92-0.98; negative predictive value: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.92-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that a machine learning model can reliably identify those nodules that will have VRR < or ≥50% at 12 months after one RF treatment session. Predicting which nodules will be poor or good responders represents valuable data that may help physicians and patients decide on the best treatment option between thermal ablation and surgery or in predicting if more than one session might be necessary to obtain a significant volume reduction.

Glycemic control and microvascular complications in adults with type 1 diabetes and long-lasting treated celiac disease: A case-control study.

AIMS: To investigate whether in type 1 diabetes (T1DM) patients the concomitance of long-lasting celiac disease (CD) treated with a gluten free diet (GFD) impacts glycaemic control and the prevalence/severity of microvascular complications. METHODS: A case-control, observational study was performed in 34 patients with T1DM and GFD-treated CD and 66 patients with T1DM alone matched for age, gender, and T1DM duration. Anthropometric parameters, glucose control (HbA1c), status of chronic complications and concomitant autoimmune diseases were evaluated. RESULTS: HbA1c level was similar in T1DM + CD and T1DM alone (7.8 ±â€¯1.0 vs 7.7 ±â€¯1.1%, P = 0.57); insulin requirement was significantly higher in T1DM + CD compared with T1DM (P = 0.04). There were no differences in systolic blood pressure while diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower in T1DM + CD (P = 0.003). The prevalence/severity of microvascular complications was similar between the two groups. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly lower in T1DM + CD (100 ±â€¯20 vs 110 ±â€¯16 ml/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with T1DM, the co-occurrence of long-term GFD-treated CD neither worsens glycemic control nor negatively impacts chronic microvascular complications. However, patients with T1DM + CD have lower eGFR values than those with T1DM alone.

Implementation of Low Glycemic Index Diet Together with Cornstarch in Post-Gastric Bypass Hypoglycemia: Two Case Reports.

Post-bariatric hypoglycemia (PBH) is an increasingly recognized long-term complication of bariatric surgery. The nutritional treatment of PBH includes a high-fiber diet and the restriction of soluble and high-glycemic index carbohydrates; however, these measures are not always enough to prevent hypoglycemia. We evaluated the efficacy of uncooked cornstarch, a low-glycemic index carbohydrate characterized by slow intestinal degradation and absorption, in addition to a high-fiber diet, for the treatment of PBH. We report the cases of two young women suffering from severe postprandial and fasting hypoglycemia following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The patients underwent Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) before and 12⁻16 weeks after the administration of uncooked cornstarch (respectively 1.25 g/kg b.w. and 1.8 g/kg b.w.) in addition to a high-fiber diet. In both patients, CGM showed more stable glucose levels throughout monitoring, a remarkable reduction of the time spent in hypoglycemia (.

Gastric Emptying Impacts the Timing of Meal Glucose Peak in Subjects With Uncomplicated Type 1 Diabetes.

Context: Diabetes mellitus is associated with gastrointestinal (GI) motility dysfunction, ranging from delayed to accelerated gastric emptying (GE). Objective: To evaluate GE in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) without chronic complications and to investigate its relation with postprandial glucose and GI hormone responses. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting/Participants: Forty-two patients with T1DM free of chronic complications referred to Federico II University and 31 healthy controls similar for age, sex, and body mass index. Interventions/Main Outcome Measures: GE was assessed by using the 13C-octanoate breath test with a standardized solid meal. During the meal, plasma glucose, ghrelin, and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) responses were assessed, and GI symptoms were evaluated by a specific questionnaire. Results: Patients with T1DM showed a significantly slower GE half-emptying time (GE t1/2) (113 ± 34 minutes) than did controls (89 ± 17 minutes; P < 0.001). Thirty-six percent of T1DM showed a delayed GE (t1/2 > 120 minutes), whereas all controls showed a normal GE. When patients with T1DM were stratified according to GE t1/2, postmeal glucose response was significantly different between those with delayed and those with normal GE (P = 0.013). In particular, patients with T1DM and delayed GE showed a significantly longer mean time to peak glucose than did patients with normal GE (P = 0.004). In addition, GE t1/2 was an independent predictor of the time to peak glucose (ß = 0.329; P = 0.025). GLP-1 and ghrelin responses to the test meal, as well as the prevalence of GI symptoms, were similar between patients with T1DM and controls and between patients with T1DM with normal GE and those with delayed GE. Conclusions: Delayed GE time is associated with a longer time to peak glucose. GE evaluation could be useful for individualizing the timing of preprandial insulin bolus in patients with T1DM.

Successful Pregnancy in a Young Woman with Multiple Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency.

Multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenation deficiency (MADD) is an inborn disorder of fatty acid oxidation due to a defect in electron transfer to the respiratory chain. We describe the medical/nutritional management of a successful pregnancy in a 19-year-old woman with a known diagnosis of MADD. A high-carbohydrate, low-fat, six-meal diet supplemented with protein was prescribed to meet the nutritional needs during pregnancy. L-Carnitine supplementation was also progressively increased over the weeks. Serum acyl-carnitine profile revealed raised levels of chain-length C6-C14, which remained substantially unchanged during pregnancy. Serum amino acid profile was in the normal range indicating an adequate nutritional support. Pregnancy progressed uneventful and the patient gave birth to a healthy boy without any complication.A careful clinical monitoring associated with an adequate medical/nutritional management may improve pregnancy outcome in women with MADD.