Coexistence of intrathyroid thymic carcinoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case report and literature review.

Background: Intrathyroid thymic carcinoma (ITTC) is a rare neoplasm of the thyroid, which accounts for less than 0.15% of all thyroid malignancies. The coexistence of ITTC and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is an extremely rare condition reported only in a limited number of cases. Case summary: A 26-year-old female presented with a growing neck mass, hoarseness, and dysphagia over four months. Ultrasonography revealed that the entire left lobe and the isthmus of the thyroid were replaced with a hypoechoic mass. Moreover, it revealed two hypoechoic nodules in the right thyroid. The patient underwent a total thyroidectomy and paratracheal lymph node dissection. Histopathological examinations revealed the coexistence of ITTC and PTC in the same thyroid. In immunohistochemical analyses, the ITTC was positive for CD5, P63, CD117, and CK 5/6 and negative for thyroglobulin, calcitonin, and TTF 1. At the same time, PTC was positive for TTF 1 and thyroglobulin and negative for CD5, P63, and CK 5/6. The patient received postoperative radiotherapy and remained well with no evidence of recurrence during one month follow-up. Conclusion: Distinguishing ITTC from other thyroid malignancies before the surgery is challenging due to its non-specific presentations. Therefore, the diagnosis relies on postoperative studies, especially immunohistochemistry. The recommended treatment approach to improve survival in ITTC cases is total thyroidectomy combined with cervical lymph node dissection, followed by postoperative radiotherapy. The coexistence of ITTC and PTC may indicate the similarity in the underlying mechanisms of these tumors. However, further investigations are needed to understand this potential correlation.

The association of upper respiratory infections with neuro-radiological course and attack rate of multiple sclerosis: Results from a large prospective cohort.

Background: Although upper respiratory infections (URIs) are linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) attacks, SARS-COV2 has not been compared to URIs for attack rates. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the attack rate and the results of neuroimaging in MS patients with URIs caused by COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 infections (NC-URI). Methods: From May 2020 to April 2021, we followed 362 patients with relapsing-remitting MS in a prospective cohort design. Patients were monitored regularly every 12 weeks; an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was performed at enrollment and every time a relapse occurred. Poisson analysis was used to determine exacerbation rate ratios (RR) and the MRI parameters were tested using chi-square analysis. Results: 347 patients with an average age of 38 and a female ratio of 86% were included. A RR of 2.24 (p < 0.001) was observed for exacerbations during the at-risk period (ARP). Attacks related to COVID-19 (RR = 2.13, p = 0.001) and NC-URIs (RR = 2.39, p < 0.001) were comparable regarding the increased risk of exacerbation (p = 0.62). Exacerbations within or outside the ARP did not significantly alter the number of baseline GAD-enhancing lesions (p > 0.05 for both). Conclusion: COVID-19 has been shown to increase the risk of MS exacerbations, like other viral URIs.

In vivo study of anticancer activity of ginsenoside Rh2-containing arginine-reduced graphene in a mouse model of breast cancer.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the in vivo anticancer activity of arginine-reduced graphene (Gr-Arg) and ginsenoside Rh2-containing arginine-reduced graphene (Gr-Arg-Rh2). Materials and Methods: Thirty-two mice with breast cancer were divided into four groups and treated every three days for 32 days: Group 1, PBS, Group 2, Rh2, Group 3, Gr-Arg, and Group 4, Gr-Arg-Rh2. The tumor size and weight, gene expression (IL10, INF-γ, TGFß, and FOXP3), and pathological properties of the tumor and normal tissues were assessed. Results: Results showed a significant decrease in TGFß expression for all drug treatment groups compared with the controls (P=0.04). There was no significant difference among the groups regarding IL10 and FOXP3 gene expression profiles (P>0.05). Gr-Arg-Rh2 significantly inhibited tumor growth (size and weight) compared with Rh2 and control groups. The highest survival rate and the highest percentage of tumor necrosis (87.5%) belonged to the Gr-Arg-Rh2 group. Lungs showed metastasis in the control group. No metastasis was observed in the Gr-Arg-Rh2 group. Gr-Arg-Rh2 showed partial degeneration of hepatocytes and acute cell infiltration in the portal spaces and around the central vein. The Gr-Arg group experienced a moderate infiltration of acute cells into the port spaces and around the central vein. The Rh2 group also showed a mild infiltration of acute and chronic cells in portal spaces. Conclusion: Based on the results, Gr-Arg-Rh2 can reduce tumor size, weight, and growth, TGF-ß gene expression, and increase tumor necrosis and survival time in mice with cancer.

The comparison of bleeding and pain after tonsillectomy in bipolar electrocautery vs cold dissection.

OBJECTIVE: Although tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgeries performed in pediatric, it has potential major complications such as pain and bleeding. This study aimed to compare the bleeding and pain after tonsillectomy in bipolar electrocautery tonsillectomy versus cold dissection. METHODS: This double blind clinical trial was conducted on 70 pediatric patients who were candidate of tonsillectomy. Patients were divided into two groups of including bipolar cautery (BC) and cold dissection (CD). operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative bleeding and pain were evaluated in the current study. RESULTS: In both of the CD and BC groups, no significant difference was found in terms of sex and age. The average amount of the intraoperative blood loss in BC group was 14.086 ± 5.013 ml and in CD group was 26.14 ± 4.46 ml (p. v = 0.0001). The mean time of operation in BC group was 19 ± 2.89 min and in CD group was 29.31 ± 5.29 min (p. v = 0.0001). patients were evaluated in terms of pain on the first, third, fifth, and seventh days after the operation. No statistically significant difference was found between two groups. Moreover, Compared pain scores in all times across two groups, no significant difference was found. In terms of postoperative bleeding, none of the patients in both groups had bleeding during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that bipolar electrocautery tonsillectomy can significantly reduce the operation time and intraoperative blood loss; however, postoperative pain and blood loss were similar in both techniques. We recommend bipolar electrocautery as the most suitable alternative method for tonsillectomy, especially in children.

Effect of Topical Furosemide on Intraoperative Bleeding During Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery.

Intraoperative bleeding reduction during functional endoscopic sinus surgery is a key factor in preventing surgery complications. That is implemented through prescribing systemic corticostroid before surgery. This study aimed to explore an efficient nasal Furosemide versus systematic corticosteroids to reduce intraoperative bleeding.