Evaluation of Modified Core-Needle Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Thyroid Nodules

OBJECTIVE: Core needle biopsy (CNB) of the thyroid is an additional diagnostic method for non-diagnostic or indeterminate cytology samples. We sought to evaluate a new modified core biopsy technique and compare the concordance of its diagnosis with the final diagnosis of the surgically resected specimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 842 patients who had a thyroid CNB with or without a previous fine-needle aspiration from August 2002 to March 2015; 38% of patients ultimately underwent thyroidectomy. We divided the patients into two groups for comparison: conventional group (n = 329) and new modified technique group (n = 513) that enabled sampling of not only the lesion but also the margin and surrounding parenchyma. The diagnostic conclusiveness of CNB and concordant rate with thyroidectomy was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The overall diagnostic conclusiveness did not exhibit a significant increase (77% in the conventional technique group and 75% in the modified technique group, p = 0.408). In terms of the diagnostic concordance rate between CNB and thyroidectomy, no overall significant increase was observed (83% in the conventional technique group and 88% in the modified technique group, p = 0.194). However, only in follicular-patterned lesions (nodular hyperplasia, follicular neoplasm, and follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma), a significant increase in the diagnostic concordance rate was observed (83% in the conventional group and 94% in the modified technique group, p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: Modified CNB technique can be beneficial for the accurate diagnosis of follicular-patterned thyroid lesions.

A Rare Case of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Hemangioma Presenting as a Peribronchial Mass

No abstract available.

A case of renal arterial embolization using 99% ethanol and lipiodol mixture for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in a hemodialysis patient / 대한내과학회지

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common genetic disorder characterized by innumerable bilateral renal cysts. It has an prevalence rate of one in 200~1,000 individuals and is a relatively common cause of renal failure. As renal function deteriorates, overall renal size usually diminish in patients with chronic renal failure. However, renal size of patients with ADPKD usually continues to increase, even after the initiation of dialysis therapy, because numerous cysts replace renal mass. Attempted methods to reduce the size of enlarged kidneys have included needle aspiration and sclerotherapy, cyst decompression surgery, laparoscopic and surgical nephrectomy. The outcome of these therapy frequently has been suboptimal, and there is a need to develop a more effective therapy. We report a case of renal arterial embolization using 99% ethanol and lipiodol mixture for ADPKD in a hemodialysis pathient, which has not been previously reported.