[Metastatic Pituitary Disorders]. / Metastatické postizení hypofýzy.

BACKGROUND: Pituitary metastases are a rare complication of generalized cancer. Metastases to the pituitary gland occur in only 1% of patients operated on for sellar tumor. The most common presenting symptom in patients with pituitary metastases is diabetes insipidus, whereas this is rare in those with pituitary adenoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This publication presents the cases of two patients with pituitary metastases and a systematic review of the literature. English-language publications related to pituitary metastases and published from 1957 to 2016 were identified using the PubMed database. RESULTS: A total of 131 publications containing information about 259 patients (121 female and 138 male; mean age, 57.3 years) were identified. The most often metastasized breast carcinoma (24.6%) and lung carcinoma (23.8%), followed by thyroid carcinoma (11.3%), renal cell carcinoma (7.8%), hepatocellular carcinoma (4.3%), colorectal carcinoma (3.5%), and malignant melanoma (3.5%). The most frequent initial symptoms were manifestations of diabetes insipidus (39.6%), anterior pituitary deficiency (44.9%), perimeter disorders (51.6%), headache (37.6%), cranial nerve palsy (33.5%), and pseudoprolactinemia (16.7%). Radiotherapy (67.8%) and surgical treatment (63.9%) were the most frequently used treatment. CONCLUSION: The average survival time from the onset of metastatic disease was 11.8 months. Surgical therapy alone or in combination with radiation therapy does not prolong survival, but alleviates symptoms and improves quality of life.Key words: pituitary metastasis - diabetes insipidus - hypopituitarism - transsphenoidal surgery The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers.Submitted: 13. 1. 2017Accepted: 4. 4. 2017.

ULTRASOUND-GUIDED PERCUTANEOUS ETHANOL INJECTION THERAPY IN A 92 YEAR-OLD PATIENT WITH PARATHYROID ADENOMA AND WITH A HISTORY OF TOTAL THYROIDECTOMY FOR PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA.

Percutaneous Ethanol Injection Therapy (PEIT) of parathyroid adenoma under ultrasound guidance is individually used as an alternative procedure in management of primary hyperparathyroidism in polymorbid elderly patients with increased surgical risk. The treatment is also suitable for patients who already underwent surgery of the thyroid gland, and any other surgery is associated with a higher risk of postsurgical complications. We present a case of a 92-year-old male patient, who underwent thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma three years ago. Part of the regular annual follow-up visits was also ultrasonography, which showed a solitary parathyroid adenoma at the site of the removed thyroid gland. Given the underlying condition, polymorbidity and age of the patient, the PEIT method was successfully used in the therapy. The coincidence of adenoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma is also interesting.

OVARIAN GOITER AS A RARE CAUSE OF HYPERTHYROIDISM.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid tissue ectopically located in the ovary can be reported accidentally after adnexectomy, but as a primary cause of hyperthyroidism this diagnosis is rare. The clinical search for a functional ectopic thyroid tissue requires intense clinical focus and a multidisciplinary approach. CASE DESCRIPTION: This case report demonstrates a patient with a history of Graves' disease who had undergone thyroidectomy combined with postoperative 131I radioablation. Despite the previous treatment, she developed an outburst of hyperthyroidism ten years later. Only very close follow-up enabled us to disclose the right condition. The ovarian source of thyroid hormone production was removed by laparoscopic adnexectomy and a right sided benign ovarian struma was confirmed. CONCLUSION: Most patients treated by thyroidectomy and radioiodine do not require extended periods of follow-up or postoperative investigations, but when the clinical or laboratory signs change, clinicians should be prepared to perform the necessary re-evaluation in order to provide the best care.

The importance of lipid spectrum changes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS).

AIM: of the study was to compare levels of blood lipids, anthropometric characteristics and their relationship in women with PCOS with a group of healthy women. METHODS AND RESULTS: We determined anthropometric indicators (BMI - body mass index, waist measurement, waist/hip ratio), blood lipid levels (total cholesterol TCH, high density cholesterol HDL, low density cholesterol LDL and triglycerides TAG) in a group of women with PCOS and a healthy control group. Levels of evaluated blood lipids in women with PCOS and the healthy control group were within the normal range. Women with PCOS differed statistically significantly from the control group in a higher concentration of triglycerides (control 1.01 ± 0.7 mmol.l-1, PCOS 1.17 ± 0.58). In women with PCOS we proved a positive correlation between BMI, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and levels of triglycerides. In women with PCOS waist measurement showed a statistically significant relationship to values of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and level of triglycerides. CONCLUSIONS: All women with PCOS in our study had very good levels of blood lipoproteins (total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides) so we are not sure if there is any importance of changes in blood lipid metabolism in these patients (Tab. 1, Fig. 2, Ref. 16).

[Problems with interpretation of low levels of thyroidal hormones conditioned by changes in transport proteins]. / Problémy s interpretací nízkých hladin tyreoidálních hormonu podmínené zmenami v transportních proteinech.

In clinical practice, we often observe conditions accompanied by secondary drop of binding proteins that bind, more or less specifically, thyroidal hormones. This is usually considered as normal situation that is often not properly interpreted from clinical point of view. In other words, we tolerate such conditions because we build on values of free hormones FT3 and FT4. However, it is very rare to observe significant decrease or even absence of thyroxin binding globulin (TBG) due to inborn error of metabolism. In such situations, the overall level of thyroidal hormones becomes a part of evaluated laboratory profile. Unusual laboratory constellation is in sharp contrast to the so-called "healthy patient". Due to increased migration of persons, we had an opportunity to take care of a patient of this kind.

[ProVens® in the Therapy of Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension]. / ProVens® v lécbe glaukomu a ocní hypertenze.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the ProVens® dietary supplement administration on intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The patients included in the trial were given the ProVens® dietary supplement once daily. One ProVens® tablet contains: 50 mg of maritime pine bark extract, 100 mg of green tea extract, and 3 mg of blueberry extract. The main ProVens® components are proanthocyanins from the bark of the maritime pine tree Pinus pinaster, polyphenols from green tea, and anthocyanins from blueberries. The total number of patients included in the trial was 46. Out of these, 35 patients were monitored for asymptomatic ocular hypertension and 11 patients for open-angle glaucoma treated with prostaglandin analogs. Intraocular pressure was measured by applanation tonometry in the beginning of the trial, after one month, and after three months of their inclusion in the trial, always at the same time of the day. RESULTS: In the group of patients with ocular hypertension, there was a statistically significant reduction in the intraocular pressure from the baseline values of 24.2 ± 2.1 mm Hg to 20.9 ± 2.5 mm Hg within the period of three months (p < 0.0001). In the group of patients with open-angle glaucoma, there was a statistically significant reduction of the intraocular pressure from the baseline values of 18.4 ± 3.2 mm Hg to 17.0 ± 3.1 mm Hg within the period of three months since the beginning of administration of the product (p = 0.022). When comparing both groups, we observed a significantly higher reduction in intraocular pressure (p = 0.0001) in the group of patients with ocular hypertension. In the whole group, no adverse effects were reported during the intake of this dietary supplement. CONCLUSION: Intake of the ProVens® dietary supplement containing proanthocyanins from the bark of the maritime pine tree Pinus pinaster together with a mixture of herbal antioxidants appears to be one of the methods of how to improve the control of intraocular pressure, particularly in patients with ocular hypertension. KEY WORDS: glaucoma, ocular hypertension, ProVens®, proanthocyanins, antioxidants, maritime pine bark extract.

[Colchicine in the treatment of liver cirrhosis. 12 years' experience]. / Soucasné postavení kolchicinu v lécbe jaterní cirhózy. 12leté zkusenosti.

The authors evaluate more than 12 years of their own experience with the administration of colchicine to patients with cirrhosis of the liver. Colchicine did not produce any apparent undesirable effects. The authors emphasize the absence of knowledge of prognostic parameters (except the stage of the disease and its activity) which would make it possible to evaluate in advance the effect of many years' treatment. They deal separately with a patient who entered their investigation in a very advanced stage of the disease and survived after he had recovered full compensation and did not depend on diuretic treatment.

[Sarcoidosis of the liver, a granulomatous process with an unclear prognosis]. / Sarkoidóza jater, granulomatózní proces s nejasnou prognózou.

The authors demonstrate on two patients the pitfalls of the diagnosis and prognostic uncertainty of systemic sarcoidosis. The typical pulmonary finding was in the background due to the very extensive and serious affection of the liver.

[Portosystemic anastomosis at the time of transplantation and TIPS]. / Portosystemická spojka v dobe transplantací a TIPS.

Sclerotherapy has become in the treatment of acute haemorrhage of oesophageal varices the method of first choice. The relapse of haemorrhage within a five-year interval is however too frequent after this treatment. TIPS is a new method which can resolve profuse haemorrhage from varices in patients with a markedly reduced hepatic reserve. The high incidence of stenosis or occlusion (50% during the first six months) however foresees the use this method rather for bridging the interval before definite therapy i.e. transplantation of the liver. Patients with a sufficient functional hepatic reserve and those who are candidates for transplantation can be protected with a very good effect against relapsing haemorrhage by a surgical anastomosis.

[Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism with celiac disease--diagnostic and therapeutic problem]. / Idiopatická hypoparatyreóza s celiakií--diagnostické a lécebné problémy.

A middle-aged woman developed gradually diseases where most probably the common denominator is an autoimmune process. The authors describe the clinical condition persisting for seven years, where hypoparathyroidism was associated with coeliac disease which did not respond to dietary measures. Malabsorption was manifested by a selective block for calcium absorption from the gut. The impaired conversion of vitamin D2 to D3 is of interest; it has obviously a multifactorial etiology. The main problem is the patient's tendency to respond by tachyphylaxis to oral vitamin D administration. The only effective therapeutic procedure apart from those listed is so far parenteral administration of vitamin D3, calcitrol.

[Fulminant liver failure as a sequelae of acute dystrophy of the right hepatic lobe]. / Fulminantní jaterní selhání jako následek akutní dystrofie pravého jaterního laloku.

A 38-year-old female patient developed signs of fulminant hepatic failure, caused by extensive, spontaneous, devastating ischaemia of the right liver lobe. The patient survived the acute attack. During the subsequent eight years hypertrophy of the intact left liver lobe occurred which eventually completely replaced the loss of the dominant right lobe.

[Adrenal incidentalomas. Clinical experience]. / Incidentalomy nadledvin. Klinické zkusenosti.

In the course of two years the authors treated 27 patients with incidentally detected adrenal tumours. Detailed morphological and laboratory examination revealed four cases of non-classical late type adrenogenital syndrome (AGS) and two pheochromocytomas. From the submitted paper ensues that it is essential to provide interdisciplinary comprehensive treatment in departments which have sufficient experience with this problem.

[The hepatic form of Wilson's disease in young patients]. / Jaterní forma Wilsonovy nemoci u mladých pacientu.

UNLABELLED: Wilson's disease (WD) is a hereditary disorder of the copper metabolism with very varied clinical and biochemical symptoms. Hepatic and neurological forms are the most frequent manifestations of this rare disease. In schoolchildren and adolescents symptoms of liver damage predominate. In a retrospective study 19 patients were evaluated with biochemical signs of hepatopathy manifested before the age of 18 years. The diagnosis of WD was established at the age of 7 to 27 years. One female patient was admitted with fulminant hepatic failure which was treated by acute transplantation of the liver in the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague. Only 9 of 18 patients with chronic hepatic affection at the time of diagnosis met the Sternlieb diagnostic criteria. These patients had reduced ceruloplasmin levels (0.08-0.18 g/l) and a high copper content in the hepatic dry matter (783 ug/g +/- 323 [SD]). In the remaining 9 patients the ceruloplasmin level was normal, however, in 8 a high copper content of the hepatic dry matter was found (696 ug/g (+)- 352[SD]. The last patient from this group had Kayser-Fleischer's (K-F) ring. It was possible to confirm the high copper content in the hepatic dry matter only after one year's penicillinamine treatment because at the time of the diagnosis poor coagulation did not permit to perform a liver biopsy. There was a statistically significant difference in the copper content of the hepatic dry matter in patients meeting and not meeting Sternlieb's criteria. Statistically significant differences between both groups were found in the plasma copper levels and in the 24-hour urinary copper excretion. Histological examination of the liver under a light microscope revealed findings from minimal changes associated with the presence of glycogen nuclei in hepatocytes to the picture of active chronic hepatitis. In all 19 patients the gene mutation H1069Q was examined and the results were positive in 39.8%. In 3 asymptomatic patients it was present in the homozygous form. CONCLUSION: Early detection of the atypical form of WD remains very difficult. The gold standard is still in all cases assessment of copper in the dry liver tissue. In the near future an important place will be held also by direct DNA analysis although its use is limited not only by the large number of known mutations but also by the financial costs of the method.

[Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura-hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP-HUS) leading to the diagnosis of Wilson's disease]. / Trombotická trombocytopenická purpura--hemolyticko-uremický syndrome (TTP-HUS) vedoucí k diagnóze Wilsonovy choroby.

Authors describe the case of a patient suffering from Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura--Hemolytic-Uremic syndromee. Any cause of the disease was not found, except signs of liver injury. The etiology of indefinite liver disease that had been diagnosed several years before was examined. Wilson's disease was considered as a final eventuality. The finding of 488 micrograms of copper in the dry liver tissue confirmed the diagnosis of Wilson's disease in the end.

[Hyperparathyroidism in clinical practice. Personal experience]. / Hyperparatyreóza v klinické praxi. Vlastní zkusenosti.

The period of six years is discussed by the authors during which 39 patients were confirmed having primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism. All of them finally underwent the surgical procedure. The possibility of immunoreactive PTH measurement has been highly appreciated. Despite that key position of the experienced surgeon remains of the utmost importance.

[New possibilities of treatment of pancreatic pseudocyst]. / Nové moznosti lécby pseudocyst pankreatu.

The authors evaluate the therapeutic results in patients with pancreatic pseudocysts where percutaneous puncture under ultrasonic control was used. Five patients were thus cured. In six patients, despite repeated punctures, treatment was not successful and internal drainage was made by surgery. The authors consider treatment of pseudocysts by puncture in suitably selected patients fully indicated because it is an unpretentious and relatively safe method.

[Life prognosis in patients with prehepatic portal hypertension treated with portosystemic shunts]. / Zivotní vyhlídky nemocných s prehepatickou portální hypertenzí, lécených portosystemickou spojkou.

The authors present the results of the long-term follow up of nine patients with prehepatic portal hypertension treated by a portosystemic anastomosis. The evaluation was made 5-21 years after operation, according to criteria focused on the therapeutic effect of the anastomosis and its possible pathophysiological sequelae. In the authors' opinion the anastomosis is the operation of choice suited for patients lacking a tendency of normalization of the portal circulation and with dangerous manifestations of portal overpressure. The indication is restricted to early age of the patients (for technical reasons). Conversely the patient should not attain adult age without unresolved hypertension. For correct timing of the operation knowledge of the development of the disease is essential. Primarily infact livers do not undergo pathological changes even after years of hypertension nor several years after an anastomosis. This is consistent with the fact that these patients lack clinical manifestations of portosystemic encephalopathy. Investigations of the course of flow curves during semiquantitative evaluation of hepatobiliary sequential scintigraphy supported the previous view that establishment of the anastomosis and elimination of portal overpressure improves hepatic perfusion. Hepatobiliary sequential scintigraphy not previously used in this indication may be of value in the follow up of the disease and evidence of the anastomosis. This preliminary conclusion is being tested in a prospective study.

[Effect of portosystemic anastomosis on the degree of splenic inhibition]. / Vliv portosystemické spojky na míru splenického útlumu.

UNLABELLED: Secondary hypersplenism is a well-known complication of portal hypertension. Reduced platelet count is a more alarming sign for the physician than risk for the patient. Improvement of thrombocytopenia is urgent, when portal hypertension with splenomegaly and thrombocytopenia presents with life-threatening haemorrhage from gastroesophageal varices. In this case, treatment aimed at stopping the bleeding may be more beneficial than any intervention on the spleen. In this study, we evaluated long-term effects of an elective distal splenorenal shunt or small diameter H-shunt on splenomegaly and thrombocytopenia in 26 patients with portal hypertension operated for repeated bleeding from oesophageal varices. 25 patients had splenomegaly and 16 patients had thrombocytopenia before shunting. Surgery corrected splenomegaly in 16 patients (64%), platelet counts increased in 13 of 16 patients with thrombocytopenia (81.2%). CONCLUSION: Selective or partial portal decompression is sufficient to alleviate thrombocytopenia and splenomegaly associated with portal hypertension.

[Extraocular muscle involvement in patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy]. / Postizení okohybných svalu u pacientu s endokrinní orbitopatií

AIM: To determine the frequency of extraocular rectus muscle involvement in patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 154 orbits of 77 adult patients (53 women and 24 men) with TAO aged from 18 to 81 years (median 49 years) were investigated. Only patients with clear signs of TAO and confirmed thyroid disease who had been referred to the Department of Ophthalmology of the Olomouc University Hospital from May 2007 to December 2012 were included. All patients underwent general ophthalmic examination and ultrasonographic and MRI examinations of the orbit. The largest short and long cross-sectional diameter for every rectus muscle was measured on MRI scans. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the correlations between the diameters of rectus muscles and exophthalmos values obtained. RESULTS: A positive moderate correlation (r = 0.514) was shown between the sum of short parameters of all rectus muscles and exophthalmos values. When compared with the normative values and taking gender into account, enlargement of the medial rectus muscle (RM) was found in 55.2 %, of the lateral rectus muscle (RL) in 33.8 %, the inferior rectus muscle (RI) in 57.1 %, and of the superior muscle group (RS) in 59.1 %. In the cases of single-muscle enlargement, the most frequently affected muscle was the RS (48.8 %), followed by the RI (31.7 %) and RM (19.5 %). No case of single-muscle enlargement of the RL was observed. In the cases of two-muscle enlargement, the RS was involved in 64.3 %, the RI and RM in 60.7 %, and the RL in 14.3 %. In the cases of three-muscle enlargement, the most frequently affected muscle was the RM (93.1 %), followed by the RI (86.2 %), RS (69%), and RL (51.7 %). CONCLUSION: Our study found that, in cases with single-muscle enlargement in patients with TAO, the vertical rectus muscles were most likely involved. On the other hand, in cases with multiple-muscle enlargement, the muscle most likely involved was the medial rectus muscle. In addition, the superior muscle group was noted to be affected more frequently than reported in the world literature. Key words: thyroid-associated orbitopathy, extraocular muscles, magnetic resonance imaging.