Establishment of an interdisciplinary vascular anomalies program in Tanzania, East Africa.

Purpose: The aim of this project is the sustainable implementation of a vascular anomalies (VA) program in Tanzania. Materials and methods: In 2021 the first interdisciplinary VA program was initiated at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania in a stepwise approach. During the planning phase the clinical need for minimally-invasive therapies of VAs and the preexisting structures were assessed by the local Interventional Radiology (IR) team at MNH. During the initiation phase, an IR team from two German VA centers joined the interdisciplinary team at MNH for clinical workup, image-guided procedures and follow-up. VA patients were recruited from existing patient records or seen at clinics as de novo presentations following nationwide advertisement. In the post-processing phase joined online conferences for follow-up and support in management of new patients were established. Further follow-up was supported by attending providers from other established VA centers, traveling to bolster the primary operators of MNH. Results: The first interdisciplinary VA program was successfully launched in Tanzania. Minimally-invasive treatments were successfully trained, by performing ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy with polidocanol and bleomycin in twelve patients with slow-flow malformations, one endovascular embolization of a high-flow malformation, and medical treatment of an aggressive infantile hemangioma. Regular online follow-up presentations have been initiated. Follow-up evaluation and required treatment was sustained when appropriate. Conclusion: The presented "hands-on" training set the ground for the first interdisciplinary VA program in Tanzania. This framework is expected to establish comprehensive and sustainable care of patients with VAs in East Africa and can serve as a blueprint for other sites.

A case of inferior vena cava atresia complicated by bilateral deep vein thrombosis.

In this report, we describe a case of deep vein thrombosis with suspected congenital inferior vena cava atresia treated with thrombolysis, angioplasty, and bilateral "kissing" iliac stent placement. An 18-year-old male presented with left common iliac vein thrombus and suspected congenital inferior vena cava atresia. He was treated over 4 days and discharged on anticoagulation which was continued long-term. These treatments were shown to be clinically successful in treating and preventing re-thrombosis in the context of inferior vena cava atresia initially presenting with symptomatic bilateral lower extremity deep vein thrombosis.

Thyroid Cancer Identified After Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Shows Aggressive Histopathology.

BACKGROUND: Incidental thyroid nodules with focal uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) have an increased risk for malignancy, with the majority being differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). It is unclear whether these cancers have more aggressive histopathology compared with DTC diagnosed via other means. METHOD: Electronic medical record of two medical centers was queried for the period of 2001-2016 to identify patients who underwent PET imaging for nonthyroid-related indications and who were found to have focal thyroid uptake. Patients who underwent thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and subsequent thyroidectomy with a final diagnosis of DTC were further reviewed. A comparison group, matched for age, tumor type, and tumor size, was selected from consecutive patients who underwent surgery for DTC. RESULTS: Among 35,124 PET scans reviewed, 227 (0.6%) patients were found to have focal thyroid uptake and underwent FNAB: Fourty-seven (21%) were found to have cancer (36 papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 9 metastases, and 2 lymphoma). Sixty-seven patients proceeded to surgery: Thirty-one with FNAB of PTC and the rest with indeterminate FNAB necessitating diagnostic thyroidectomy. Compared with the control group, the PET PTC patients involved more men (54% versus 26%, P = 0.003), had more advanced tumor stage (P = 0.03), and had increased BRAF mutation on final pathology (78% versus 42%, P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that DTC detected on PET is most commonly of the papillary type. Despite the small sample size, the results suggest that these PTC may be more aggressive than PTC detected through other means and more frequently harbor BRAF mutations.

Can ultrasound be used to predict malignancy in patients with a thyroid nodule and an indeterminate fine-needle aspiration biopsy?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether ultrasonography is helpful in predicting malignancy in patients with a thyroid nodule and atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AFLUS). METHODS: All patients with a preoperative ultrasound who underwent thyroidectomy for a nodule with AFLUS comprised the study population. A blinded review of gray-scale and color-Doppler sonographic images of the thyroid nodule was performed by an expert sonographer; results were compared with the original interpretation and were correlated with histopathology. All images were reviewed for hypoechogenicity, irregular margins, shape that was taller than wide, micro and macrocalcifications, absent halo, and intranodular hypervascularity. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2012, 61 patients underwent thyroidectomy for AFLUS with an ultrasound examination for review; 6 (10%) with cancer. Nodule shape that was taller than wide, was associated with cancer (P < .05). The original sonographer commented on an average of two of seven features important in assessment of a thyroid nodule. CONCLUSION: With the exception of nodule height greater than width, sonographic criteria were not helpful in deciding which patients with AFLUS should undergo thyroidectomy. Thyroidectomy is recommended in lieu of repeat biopsy for a nodule that is taller than wide. Standardized sonographic reporting should be implemented.