A rare form of hyperthyroidism leading to the diagnosis of acromegaly: A case report.

Acromegaly is a rare disease, usually caused by a pituitary tumor. It typically exhibits slow evolution and can result in numerous complications. In the present case report, the patient presented with hyperthyroidism associated with ophthalmopathy and right nodular goiter. The laboratory tests revealed persistent high levels of phosphorus without an apparent cause. After ruling out common pathologies associated with this finding, a focus was placed on the clinical aspects associated with acromegaly, a rare cause of hyperphosphatemia. Laboratory tests and MRI confirmed the diagnosis. The patient underwent transsphenoidal surgery, but the disease remained active, thus medical treatment was initiated, to a poor initial response. Associated with acromegaly, two distinct thyroid pathologies were diagnosed: Toxic adenoma and Graves' disease. This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing and managing a rare endocrine pathology.

The Experience of a Single Tertiary Center Regarding Benign and Malignant Tumors in Acromegalic Patients.

Background and Objectives: Acromegaly is a rare disease associated with increased levels of growth hormones (GHs) that stimulates the hepatic production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Increased secretion of both GH and IGF-1 activates pathways, such as Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (JAK2/STAT5), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), involved in the development of tumors. Materials and Methods: Given the disputed nature of the topic, we decided to study the prevalence of benign and malignant tumors in our cohort of acromegalic patients. In addition, we aimed to identify risk factors or laboratory parameters associated with the occurrence of tumors in these patients. Results: The study group included 34 patients (9 men (25.7%) and 25 women (74.3%)). No clear relationship between the levels of IGF-1 or GH and tumor development could be demonstrated, but certain risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity, were more frequent in patients with tumors. In total, 34 benign tumoral proliferations were identified, the most common being multinodular goiter. Malignant tumors were present only in women (14.70%) and the most frequent type was thyroid carcinoma. Conclusions: DM and obesity might be associated with tumoral proliferation in patients with acromegaly, and findings also present in the general population. In our study we did not find a direct link between acromegaly and tumoral proliferations.

Collision tumor of the thyroid - a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of the patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinomas have a coexistent differentiated thyroid cancer, sustaining the hypothesis that this cancer may develop from more differentiated tumors. We describe a case with a collision tumor of the thyroid, defined as a neoplastic lesion composed of two distinct cell populations, with distinct borders. The patient presented during the COVID-19 pandemic with dysphonia, dyspnea, multinodular goiter and a painless, rapidly enlarging, left cervical swelling. She had been first time diagnosed with left nodular goiter in 2007, with an indication for surgery, which she declined. After partial excision of the left latero-cervical adenopathy, the pathological analysis showed massive lymph node metastasis from anaplastic thyroid cancer. A total thyroidectomy was done; the postoperative pathological exam identified a papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in the right lobe and an anaplastic thyroid cancer in the left lobe. Postoperatively, levothyroxine treatment was started and the patient was referred to radiotherapy. This case highlights the importance of urgent management of some cases with compressive multinodular goiter, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bone turnover markers in postmenopausal osteoporosis and their correlation with bone mineral density and menopause duration.

BACKGROUND: Biochemical bone turnover markers (BTMs) estimates the bone remodeling process, being valuable in the personalized approach of osteoporotic patients. AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between biochemical BTMs and bone mineral density (BMD), depending on menopause period, in postmenopausal osteoporotic women, compared to postmenopausal women without osteoporosis. PATIENTS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 149 untreated postmenopausal women, divided into three groups: group 1 (65 osteoporotic women with less than 10 years of menopause), group 2 (44 osteoporotic patients, with over 10 years of menopause), and the control group with 40 postmenopausal women without osteoporosis. RESULTS: All BTMs levels were higher in the groups with osteoporosis, than in the control group. Lumbar BMD values correlated positively with deoxypyridinoline (DPD) and negatively with bone-specific isoform of alkaline phosphatase (BAP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase band 5b (TRAP 5b), osteocalcin (OC) and cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX). Serum estradiol levels correlated positively with spine BMD in the whole study group (r=0.508, p=0.001). BTMs correlated positively with each other. Osteoporotic women with longer period of menopause presented significantly higher values of resorption markers (NTX and TRAP 5b), compared to the group with menopause duration less than 10 years. At a cutoff value of 12 µg∕L, BAP presented 82.4% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that BTMs correlated negatively with lumbar BMD and positively with each other. Resorption markers levels increase with duration of estradiol deprivation period.

Echocardiographic evolution of pulmonary hypertension in female patients with hyperthyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to highlight the impact of increased cardiac output (CO) and/or pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) on the occurrence and evolution of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in hyperthyroidism and to follow their evolution in patients under therapy. METHODS: Our study group consisted of 142 women with hyperthyroidism of different severities and etiologies. We divided our patients into three groups: groups A (overt hyperthyroidism), B (recurrent disease), and C (subclinical forms). We performed echocardiography to determine echocardiographically estimated systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (eePAP), CO, and PVR before and at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment with thyroid suppression therapy and beta-blockers. RESULTS: In our study group we documented PH of various severities in 73 patients (51.4%). Increased CO, induced mostly by hyperthyroidismspecific tachycardia, was frequently detected in overt hyperthyroidism and also augmented PVR, as documented in 43.66% of patients with severe and recurrent forms. For all patients with PH, we emphasized a strong correlation between eePAP and PVR level (r=0.854, p<0.0001) and a moderate one with CO (r=0.437, p<0.0001) and with hyperthyroidism duration (r=0.545, p<0.0001). Under therapy, CO rapidly normalized and PVR significantly decreased in groups A and C. In group B, the reduction was modest and statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of PH are elevated CO and PVR. While increased CO is rapidly alleviated under therapy, elevated eePAP and PVR persist in recurrent cases and are responsible for the perpetuation of PH.

Correlations between bone turnover markers, serum magnesium and bone mass density in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

INTRODUCTION: Bone mass density (BMD) is still the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, but bone turnover markers (BTMs) can provide helpful information regarding the bone remodeling process. The aim of this study was to determine the correlations between BMD and serum levels of BTMs (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b [TRAP-5b]), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP), estradiol (E2), and magnesium (Mg[2+]) ion concentrations in postmenopausal osteoporotic women as compared to healthy postmenopausal subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 132 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis and 81 healthy postmenopausal women without osteoporosis. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan assessed BMD at different skeleton sites. Serum levels of E2, BSAP, and TRAP-5b were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Serum levels of Mg(2+) were determined using the colorimetric spectrometry technique. RESULTS: Serum levels of BTMs were significantly higher in osteoporotic women than in controls. BSAP has a moderate sensitivity (76.5%) and specificity (84.3%) (cutoff point 21.27 U/L). At a cutoff point of 3.45 U/L, TRAP-5b presented a sensitivity of 86.3% and a higher specificity of 90.6%. Osteoporotic patients showed significantly lower concentrations of serum Mg(2+) than the control group. Mg(2+) levels correlated positively with BMD values (r=0.747, P<0.0001). Furthermore, Mg(2+) concentrations correlated positively with E2 levels (r=0.684, P<0.0001). Spine BMD correlated negatively with BSAP levels (r=-0.36, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that BMD correlates negatively with BTMs and positively with E2 and Mg(2+) levels. TRAP-5b presents a good specificity in identifying patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.

2D-Shear Wave Elastography in the Evaluation of Parathyroid Lesions in Patients with Hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: 2D-shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) is a relatively new elastographic technique. The aim of the present study is to determine the values of the elasticity indexes (EI) measured by 2D-SWE in parathyroid benign lesions (adenomas or hyperplasia) and to establish if this investigation is helpful for the preoperative identification of the parathyroid adenoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study groups were represented by 22 patients with primary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism, diagnosed by specific tests, and 43 healthy controls, in whom the thyroid parenchyma was evaluated, in order to compare the EI of the thyroid tissue with those of the parathyroid lesions. RESULTS: The mean EI measured by 2D-SWE in the parathyroid lesions was 10.2 ± 4.9 kPa, significantly lower than that of the normal thyroid parenchyma (19.5 ± 7.6 kPa; p = 0.007), indicating soft tissue. For a cutoff value of 12.5 kPa, the EI assessed by 2D-SWE had a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 86% (AUC = 0.949; p < 0.001) for predicting parathyroid lesions. CONCLUSION: A value lower than 12.5 kPa for the mean EI measured by 2D-SWE can be used to confirm that the lesion/nodule is a parathyroid adenoma.

Clinical, ultrasonographical and histopathological aspects in Hashimoto's thyroiditis associated with malignant and benign thyroid nodules.

INTRIDUCTION: The reported prevalence of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis associated with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is heterogeneous.The aim of this study was to evaluate some epidemiological, clinical, sonographical and histological features of operated thyroidnodules with background diffuse autoimmune thyroiditis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 411 cases with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), of which 118 presented thyroid nodular disease(TND). Thyroidectomy was performed in 76 cases. Of these patients, 24 presented histologically confirmed DTC and 52 benign lesions.DTC types were as follows: papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) (n = 6), follicular variant of PTC (FVPTC) (n = 6), papillary microcarcinomas(n = 8), follicular thyroid carcinoma (n = 1) and the mixed form (classic PTC and FVPTC) (n = 3). The benign nodules were dominatedby: follicular adenoma (48%), and colloid goitre (40.3%). RESULTS: The sonographic features with predictive risk for malignancy in cases with HT associated with TND were represented by: solidcomposition, hypoechogenicity and microcalcifications. The characters of margins, the nodular shape and the type of vascularity do notseem to be as useful for identification of malignant nodules in HT. Fine needle-aspiration biopsy (FNAB) showed in DTC cases differentcytological smears: malignant (ten), indeterminate (eight), benign (two), and non-diagnostic (four). In the group of benign nodules, theindeterminate smears represented also a significant percentage (n = 12). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of TND associated with HT was 28.7%. Among 76 operated cases, 31.5% presented DTC. The accuracyof FNAB in the preoperative diagnosis showed higher sensitivity (90.0%) and specificity (61.5%) compared to sonographic criteria.

Amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction in an iodine-replete area: epidemiological and clinical data.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aims to evaluate the incidence, types, timing and risk factors in amiodarone (AMD)-induced thyroid dysfunction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised 229 patients from an iodine-replete area (115 women, 114 men, mean age 63.8 ± 9.2 years), chronically treated with AMD. The cases were clinically investigated prior to, and during treatment, by thyroid 2D and color Doppler flow sonography, thyroid function tests (TSH, FT3, FT4), and antithyroid antibodies. RESULTS: Of 88 patients (38.4%) who developed thyroid dysfunction, 47 (20.5%) presented AMD-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) and 41 (17.9%) AMD-induced hypothyroidism (AIH). There is an evident prevalence of subclinical AIH (29 cases), compared to subclinical AIT (three cases). Regarding clinical forms, these prevailed in AIT (44 patients) (p 〈 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Thyrotoxic patients were classified in pathogenic types as follows: 11 cases as type 1, 15 cases as type 2, and 21 cases as mixed form. The most important risk factor for the development of thyroid dysfunction was represented by the underlying thyroid pathology. The patients with previous thyroid abnormalities (diffuse or nodular goitre and/or positive antithyroid antibodies) developed earlier thyroid dysfunction compared to those with an apparently normal thyroid gland. The thyroid dysfunction occurrence was heterogeneous (4-84 months). Thyrotoxicosis involved especially young ages, while AIH affected later years.The daily dose, the duration of the treatment and the cumulative dose of AMD do not represent risk factors in thyroid dysfunction development. The determination of serum AMD and desethylamiodarone concentrations does not offer benefits in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, the incidence of AIH was similar to that reported in iodine-replete areas. The incidence of AIT was higher that previously reported, a fact underlining the importance of the proper screening and monitoring of patients. Cases with previous thyroid morphologic and/or immunologic abnormalities require frequent monitoring.

Indicators of mineralocorticoid excess in the evaluation of primary aldosteronism.

It is suggested to use the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) as a first test in the screening for primary aldosteronism (PA). However, many groups rather rely on the determination of urinary tetrahydroaldosterone secretion; others calculate a ratio of urinary aldosterone to plasma renin activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of different parameters of aldosterone excess in the case finding of PA. The study included 28 patients with PA and 33 subjects with essential hypertension. Clinical data, which included the hormonal parameters, serum aldosterone, plasma renin concentration, urinary free aldosterone and metabolites and serum and urinary electrolyte levels were analyzed. These indices of aldosterone excess, the ARR, serum sodium to urinary sodium to (serum potassium)(2) to urinary potassium (SUSPPUP) ratio and combinations of these parameters were compared between the groups. Receiver-operating curve analysis revealed that the ARR multiplied by the SUSPPUP ratio (ARR x SUSPPUP) is the most reliable screening test, with a sensitivity of 92.3% and a specificity of 93.9% (cutoff point 199.2 (mmol l(-1))(-1)). The combination of ARR x SUSPPUP ratio with urinary free aldosterone divided by the plasma renin concentration rendered a specificity of 100%. Less useful was the correction of urinary free aldosterone and its metabolites for sodium excretion. Although the ARR and urinary free aldosterone divided by renin are good tests in the screening for PA, the combination of ARR with SUSPPUP ratio is a better indicator of an aldosterone excess and aldosterone action in patients with ongoing antihypertensive medication. Antihypertensive drugs only marginally interfere with the SUSPPUP ratio, but they may influence the ARR, whereby the effects in PA patients seem to be negligible.