Evaluation of thyroid nodules in the brazilian public health care system, supplementary health system, and private health system in the northeastern region of the state of São Paulo

ABSTRACT Objective: To obtain data about the evaluation of thyroid nodules (TNs) in the northeastern of the State of São Paulo, compared by health care type, and measure the performance of cytology as a screening test for thyroid cancer (TC). Subjects and methods: We collected data of 597 patients treated in the Brazilian public health care system (SUS), supplementary health (SH) and in private health system (PHS) in 2014. A total of 803 TNs were aspirated, and 125 patients underwent surgery. Results: The distribution of all cytologic results according to the Bethesda system was: I, 135 (16.8%); II, 475 (59.2%); III, 107 (13.3%); IV, 32 (4.0%); V, 20 (2.5%); VI, 34 (4.2%). The time between cytologic analysis and surgery was longer in the SUS than in the SH for TNs in general (p < 0.001) and for TNs with Bethesda V and VI cytology (p = 0.01). The sizes of the TNs and resected malignant TNs was larger in the SUS than in the SH (p = 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively). The number of PHS surgeries was too small and was not compared. The prevalence of TC was 9.2% and 23.6% of them were treated in the SUS. Cytology showed a 93.6% sensitivity, 95.8% specificity, and 94.7% accuracy when Bethesda III and IV were excluded. Conclusion: Cytology was a good screening test for TC categories Bethesda II, V, and VI. The differences between the SUS and SH indicate a need for improved access to consultations and specialized tests in the SUS.

Afericoes e exames clinicos realizados nos participantes do ELSA-Brasil / Medical assessments and measurements in ELSA-Brasil

Este artigo descreve os exames clínicos realizados no Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). Alguns deles (antropometria, pressão arterial e índice tornozelo-braquial) já têm uso clínico consolidado. Outros, como a velocidade de onda de pulso, variabilidade da frequência cardíaca e medida da espessura médio-intimal de carótidas, carecem de valor de referência na população brasileira não doente e podem constituir preditores importantes de desfechos cardiovasculares. A medida da pressão arterial após manobra postural foi incluída no ELSA-Brasil porque foi pouco testada em estudos epidemiológicos. O ELSA-Brasil inovou na realização do índice tornozelo-braquial, ao usar um aparelho automático em substituição à coluna de mercúrio na medida da pressão arterial, e também na medida do diâmetro ântero-posterior do lobo direito do fígado pela ultrassonografia, proposta para avaliação quantitativa da doença hepática gordurosa não-alcoólica. Os participantes são indivíduos mais jovens (a partir dos 35 anos) do que em outras coortes focadas no estudo da aterosclerose subclínica. A inclusão de indivíduos mais jovens e a diversidade dos exames realizados tornam o ELSA-Brasil um estudo relevante no contexto da epidemiologia brasileira e internacional.

The article describes assessments and measurements performed in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study for Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Some assessments including anthropometric assessment, casual blood pressure measurement, and ankle-brachial index have an established clinical application while others including pulse wave velocity, heart rate variability, and carotid intima-media thickness have no established application and do not have reference values for healthy Brazilian population but may be important predictors of cardiovascular outcomes. Blood pressure measurement following postural change maneuver was included in the ELSA-Brasil because it has not been much tested in epidemiological studies. Innovative approaches were developed for assessing the ankle-brachial index using an automatic device instead of the mercury column to measure blood pressure and for assessing the anterior-posterior diameter of the right lobe of the liver by ultrasound for quantitative assessment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. All ELSA-Brasil subjects were younger (35 years or more) than those included in other cohorts studying subclinical atherosclerosis. The inclusion of younger individuals and a variety of assessments make the ELSA-Brasil a relevant epidemiology study nationwide and worldwide.

Localization of pancreatic insulinomas by measurement of serum insulin in hepatic vein after selective intra-arterial calcium stimulation / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling ( ASVS) for the localization of pancreatic insulinoma preoperatively.Methods The clinical data of 28 insulinoma patients admitted from May 2000 to June 2010 in Ruijin Hospital undergoing selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling with diagnosis of insulinomas before surgery were analyzed retrospectively.Results There were 12 males and 16 females.All the patients had Whipple's triad, and with proved insulinomas by postoperative pathology.There were 26 cases of single insulinoma and 2 cases of multiple insulinomas with altogether 32 insulinomas resected.78.1% of insulinomas were less than 20 mm.All patient were examined by selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling.The peak ratio of insulin to the baseline after calcium stimulation appeared at the superior mensenteric artery (SMA) in 6 cases, and the peak ratio of insulin to the baseline after calcium stimulation appeared at gastroduodenal artery(GDA), proximal splenic artery (SAP) and distal splenic artery (SAD) in 9 cases, 6 cases and 6 cases respectively; Selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling accurately located 25 cases, and selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling located 2 cases wrongly.In one patient, the selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling was falsely negative.The mean and median peak ratio of insulin to the baseline after calcium stimulation were 8.8 folds and 14.8 folds respectively.Accurate rate of selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling was 89.3% (25/28) and it was higher than that of computed tomography (CT) (56.5% ) , magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (60.0%).Sensitivity of selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling was 96.2%, which was higher than that of computed tomography ( 69.6% ) , magnetic resonance imaging (75.0% ).Conclusion Selective intra-arterial calcium stimulated venous sampling is superior to computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging as a preoperative localizing tool for insulinomas, since this procedure is invasive it should be used when other preoperative morphologic studies (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) failed.