DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Post-pancreatitis diabetes mellitus: prime time for secondary disease.

While most people with diabetes have type 2 disease, a non-negligible minority develops a secondary diabetes. Post-pancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM) is an exemplar secondary diabetes that represents a sequela of pancreatitis - the most common disease of the exocrine pancreas. Although this type of diabetes has been known as a clinical entity since the late 19th century, early 21st century high-quality epidemiological, clinical, and translational studies from around the world have amassed a sizeable body of knowledge that have led to a renewed understanding of PPDM. People have at least two-fold higher lifetime risk of developing diabetes after an attack of pancreatitis than those in the general population without a history of diseases of the exocrine pancreas. PPDM is caused by acute pancreatitis (including non-necrotising pancreatitis, which constitutes the majority of acute pancreatitis) in four-fifth of cases and chronic pancreatitis in one-fifth of cases. Moreover, the frequency of incident diabetes is not considerably lower after acute pancreatitis than after chronic pancreatitis. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis and exocrine pancreatic dysfunction portend high risk for PPDM, but are not mandatory for its development. Further, young- or middle-aged non-obese men have an increased risk of developing PPDM. In comparison with type 2 diabetes, PPDM is characterised by poorer glycaemic control, higher risk of developing cancer (in particular, pancreatic cancer), younger age at death, and a higher risk of mortality. Metformin monotherapy is recommended as the first-line therapy for PPDM. Appropriate screening of individuals after an attack of pancreatitis, correct identification of PPDM, and apposite management is crucial with a view to improving the outcomes of this secondary but not inappreciable disease.

Contemporary evaluation and management of tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to describe the contemporary evaluation and management of tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma with an emphasis on the clinical features. RECENT FINDINGS: Tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common aggressive subtype. Within the last few years, the diagnostic criteria for this entity have evolved. Studies have elucidated a better understanding of the clinical implications and pathophysiology of this variant. In this review, the studies presented reflect cumulative and aggregated data from metaanalyses, systematic reviews, and large database investigations utilizing the current diagnostic criteria. SUMMARY: Overall, tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma represents an aggressive subtype of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma with more prevalent high-risk features and a poorer clinical outcome.

Contemporary Thyroid Nodule Evaluation and Management.

CONTEXT: Approximately 60% of adults harbor 1 or more thyroid nodules. The possibility of cancer is the overriding concern, but only about 5% prove to be malignant. The widespread use of diagnostic imaging and improved access to health care favor the discovery of small, subclinical nodules and small papillary cancers. Overdiagnosis and overtreatment is associated with potentially excessive costs and nonnegligible morbidity for patients. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We conducted a PubMed search for the recent English-language articles dealing with thyroid nodule management. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The initial assessment includes an evaluation of clinical risk factors and sonographic examination of the neck. Sonographic risk-stratification systems (e.g., Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems) can be used to estimate the risk of malignancy and the need for biopsy based on nodule features and size. When cytology findings are indeterminate, molecular analysis of the aspirate may obviate the need for diagnostic surgery. Many nodules will not require biopsy. These nodules and those that are cytologically benign can be managed with long-term follow-up alone. If malignancy is suspected, options include surgery (increasingly less extensive), active surveillance or, in selected cases, minimally invasive techniques. CONCLUSION: Thyroid nodule evaluation is no longer a 1-size-fits-all proposition. For most nodules, the likelihood of malignancy can be confidently estimated without resorting to cytology or molecular testing, and low-frequency surveillance is sufficient for most patients. When there are multiple options for diagnosis and/or treatment, they should be discussed with patients as frankly as possible to identify an approach that best meets their needs.

A Contemporary View of the Definition and Diagnosis of Osteoporosis in Children and Adolescents.

The last 2 decades have seen growing recognition of the need to appropriately identify and treat children with osteoporotic fractures. This focus stems from important advances in our understanding of the genetic basis of bone fragility, the natural history and predictors of fractures in chronic conditions, the use of bone-active medications in children, and the inclusion of bone health screening into clinical guidelines for high-risk populations. Given the historic focus on bone densitometry in this setting, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry published revised criteria in 2013 to define osteoporosis in the young, oriented towards prevention of overdiagnosis given the high frequency of extremity fractures during the growing years. This definition has been successful in avoiding an inappropriate diagnosis of osteoporosis in healthy children who sustain long bone fractures during play. However, its emphasis on the number of long bone fractures plus a concomitant bone mineral density (BMD) threshold ≤ -2.0, without consideration for long bone fracture characteristics (eg, skeletal site, radiographic features) or the clinical context (eg, known fracture risk in serious illnesses or physical-radiographic stigmata of osteoporosis), inappropriately misses clinically relevant bone fragility in some children. In this perspective, we propose a new approach to the definition and diagnosis of osteoporosis in children, one that balances the role of BMD in the pediatric fracture assessment with other important clinical features, including fracture characteristics, the clinical context and, where appropriate, the need to define the underlying genetic etiology as far as possible.