[Simple thyroid cyst]. / Quiste simple de tiroides.

Simple or true thyroid cysts are very rare. We only have found one case in which colorless and acellular transparent fluid has been found by means of the fine needle aspiration puncture (FNAP). We report the case of a 33 year old female who first presented with a rapidly growing thyroid nodule. The thyroid scintigraphy revealed the existence of a cold nodule and the ultrasonography showed a lesion having a cystic appearance. The FNAP was performed and was both diagnostic and therapeutic in this case.

[Comparative study of pure epidermoid carcinoma of the bladder and transitional cell carcinoma with squamous or mixed differentiated foci]. / Estudio comparativo del carcinoma epidermoide de vejiga puro y el carcinoma transicional con focos de diferenciación escamosa o mixto.

INTRODUCTION: The epidermoid bladder carcinoma is an infrequent tumour in our environment accounting for 5-8% of total vesical tumours, but is not so uncommon to find foci of squamous differentiation within a transitional carcinoma. We conducted a comparative study between these two histologic forms and analyzed the pattern of their clinical behaviour. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study on a total of 32 cases of epidermoid carcinoma diagnosed between 1986-1996 that following histological confirmation were divided into two groups; plain epidermoid carcinoma (PEC), 11 cases; and transitional carcinoma with foci of squamous differentiation (MEC), 19 cases. After further review 2 cases were excluded. RESULTS: PEC appears in older patients. Both tumoral forms are more frequent in males, the male/female ratio being lower in PEC. Presence of irritative factors is significantly associated to PEC (P < 0.01) and smoking to MEC. Presentation signs are similar in both groups, and haematuria is the most frequent sign. Most usual location in both groups was the trigone, which caused uni/bilateral hydronephrosis in over 50% patients. At the time of diagnosis all PECs were invasive versus only 86% in the MEC group. TREATMENT: PEC group underwent the following procedures: 4 radical cystectomies, 2 cystectomies plus radiotherapy, 3 palliative TUR and 2 TUR with radiotherapy. In the MEC group there were 3 radical cystectomies, 2 cystectomies plus radiotherapy, 1 cystectomy with previous chemotherapy, 8 palliative TUR, 2 TUR with endovesical chemotherapy, 1 TUR with systemic chemotherapy, 1 TUR with radiotherapy and 1 systemic chemotherapy. Mean survival was 12.5 months (0-43) in PEC and 26.55 (0-96) in MEC. Disease-free time in PEC and MEC was 5 months (0-37) and 10.25 (0-70) respectively. Only one patient achieved 5-year survival. CONCLUSION: Epidermoid carcinoma both plain and mixed is an aggressive tumour with poor prognosis and short survival. 100% PECs in our series are invasive at diagnosis, and no statistically significant differences were found in survival and disease-free time between both histological variants. Cystectomy remains the choice therapy.