Radioguided occult lesion localization of cervical recurrences from differentiated thyroid cancer: technical feasibility and clinical results.

AIM: We explored the feasibility of radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) for radioiodine-negative cervical recurrences from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). METHODS: The procedure was performed in 32 patients (3 patients being operated twice); 15/32 patients had had multiple prior lymph node dissections ("hostile" anatomy). 99mTc-albumin macro-aggregates (99mTc-MAA) were injected intra-lesionally under ultrasound guidance; 2 to 18 hours later, a hand-held gamma-probe helped to localize the lesions intraoperatively and to ascertain removal of the radiolabeled lesions. Mini-invasive excision of the radiolabelled lesions was performed in 12 cases (m-ROLL), while a modified radical neck dissection was performed in 23 cases after radioguided lymphadenectomy (d-ROLL). Fifty-nine lesions were radiolabelled (mean size 11±4.5 mm). RESULTS: Radioguidance allowed to identify/remove 56/59 lesions (95%). Some leakage of 99mTc-MAA in the surrounding tissues hampered detection of 3 lesions, which were removed anyway (100% overall localization). Histopathology confirmed metastatic involvement of the radiolabeled lesions and some additional metastases in other nodes. Neither nerve injury nor hypoparathyroidism occurred. After a median follow-up of 29 months, 19 patients were disease-free, 12 patients developed loco-regional recurrences, 1 patient had distant metastases and 1 patient had both loco-regional and distant metastases. Recurrences rates were 33% for m-ROLL and 40% for d-ROLL. CONCLUSIONS: The ROLL technique is feasible in selected patients with loco-regional recurrence from DTC, proving to be particularly useful also in patients already submitted to cervical dissections and/or with small lesions located in surgically difficult sites. It can therefore have a clinical role in the management of cervical DTC recurrences.

[Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord. Clinical case]. / Liposarcoma del funicolo spermatico. Caso clinico.

Sarcomas are neoplasms originating from connective tissues of any anatomical region; the sarcoma of spermatic cord is a rare neoplasm with only little more than two hundred cases described in the literature. Rhabdomyosarcomas in childhood and leiomyosarcomas in adults are the most frequent histological types. Liposarcomas, fibrosarcomas and osteosarcomas are less frequent. The spermatic cord liposarcoma originates from the spermatic cord fatty tissue and therefore it consist of adipose cells, fibroblasts and myxomatosus cells; such neoplasms are usually very well differentiated. Diagnosis is suggested by the appearance of a progressively enlarging mass and by echotomography which shows a solid or liquid mass of the spermatic cord. Therapy consists of surgical intervention (orchifunicolectomy) which also allows a correct histological diagnosis. The case of a 56 year-old male who underwent left orchifunicolectomy for a sarcoma of spermatic cord occasionally discovered during surgical repair of a left groin hernia is reported. Six months after the intervention the patient is in good condition and there is no evidence of relapse.

[Follicular carcinoma and Hürthle cell tumor of the thyroid]. / Il cancro follicolare e quello a cellule di Hürthle della tiroide.

In this paper we present the current therapeutical strategies for follicular carcinoma (10-15% of all thyroid tumours) which is more common in areas of endemic goitre, and is classified according to histology into encapsulated and angioinvasive (more aggressive). The treatment of choice is total thyroidectomy, eventually associated with functional latero-cervical lymphadenectomy. Distant metastases can be treated by surgery if single and resectable, or by radiometabolic therapy in the other cases. Hürthle cell (oxyphilic) tumour, also called oncocytoma, has an unpredictable biological behaviour, even after histological examination. During the eighties the preferred treatment was total thyroidectomy, but currently many authors favour a less aggressive approach, especially with lesions considered "benign" according to the common histological parameters. We too apply an individualised strategy of treatment; follow-up must be very thorough in order to detect early any recurrence.

Retroperitoneal seminoma secondary to 'burned out' testicular tumor in an acromegalic patient.

We report a case of an acromegalic patient with a retroperitoneal seminoma secondary to a testicular tumor which had completely disappeared. Testicular ultrasonography did not show any pathological mass and histological examination indicated that the normal testis had been totally replaced by fibrous tissue, without neoplastic cells. Our patient had high levels of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL), both hormones with high immunostimulating effect, and an increase of interleukin-2 receptor-positive lymphocytes, a finding supporting enhanced immunological activity. Thus, we cannot exclude that the immunological pattern of this acromegalic patient may have played some role in the tumoral destruction.

[Primary hyperaldosteronism: our experience with 34 patients]. / L'iperaldosteronismo primario: esperienza con 34 pazienti.

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a relative new endocrine disease that account for almost 1-2% of the hypertensive population. In spite of the large number of reports there is still disagreement around the preoperative diagnosis and surgical treatment. In a nineteen year period from 1970 to 1989, 34 patients came to our Department with a diagnosis of Primary Aldosteronism. 18 patients were female. Mean age at time of diagnosis was 45.5 yrs. (range 27-67 yrs.). Mean follow-up was 71 months (range 1-227 months). Follow-up was achieved in all patient. Hypertension and hypokalemia were discovered in all patients. Three patients had extremely low values of potassium and presented severe metabolic, cardiac and neurologic troubles. Localization procedure techniques improved during this period of time and at this moment CAT scan appears to be the most accurate method. Flank incision was the approach of choice in all but four patients. No postoperative complications were recorded. Histology demonstrated an incidence of adenomas according to the literature. One patient had an adrenal carcinoma with functioning metastases. He was operated on several times in order to remove the functioning node metastases but finally died with widespread disease four years after the first surgical treatment. Another patient in this series died three years after the operation for an unrelated event. In 29 patients hypertension and hypokalemia disappeared while in two patient, one with an adrenal carcinoma hypertension increased. Primary aldosteronism is a rare endocrine disorder whose incidence is increased in the last years because of the improvement in diagnostic procedures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Clinical and biologic behavior of bone metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Thirty (3.8%) of 780 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer seen between 1970 and 1987 had bone metastases. The primary tumor was follicular in 26 patients and papillary in four. Mean age at diagnosis was 61 years. The manifestation of bone metastases was the presenting symptom in 18 patients (60%). Treatment included total thyroidectomy, levothyroxine sodium therapy, and radioactive iodine treatments. Twenty-seven patients had bone metastases from the initial observation, with 44 sites involved. Of the sites, 27 (61%) were shown both on iodine 131 whole-body scan (WBS) and on x-ray film, 11 (25%) only on WBS, and six (14%) only on x-ray film. Multiple involvement was observed in 11 patients. The radiologic appearance was invariably osteolytic. Serum thyroglobulin was elevated in all patients. After radioactive iodine, no WBS+/X-ray+ metastases showed a complete response, although a sclerotic border was noted in several cases, whereas six WBS+/X-ray- lesions were no longer detectable by WBS. Treatment with radioactive iodine and bone surgery resulted in a complete cure in three patients and in a reduction of tumor mass in three. Twenty-one (70%) of the patients died of thyroid cancer after a mean survival of 86 months. Of the nine patients still alive, two are free of disease, three have a good quality of life, and four have severe disability.

Long term treatment with tamoxifen for metastatic carcinoid tumor.

Carcinoid tumor associated with carcinoid syndrome is a very difficult condition to treat. Many different drugs have been used in order to control symptoms and different antineoplastic agents were experimentated to reduce the often large neoplastic lesions. Recently the description of the existence of estrogen receptors in carcinoid tumor tissue arose great enthusiasm on the possibility of using the antiestrogen tamoxifen as a direct antitumor agent. Few experiences appeared in the international literature and contrastant results were reported. In this paper we describe one case of long term treatment with tamoxifen for a metastatic carcinoid tumor. The patient experienced the regression of carcinoid syndrome symptoms with tamoxifen therapy. Unfortunately after one year symptoms reappeared in spite of tamoxifen therapy. We conclude that tamoxifen is at the moment the best therapy in patient affected by carcinoid tumor associated with carcinoid syndrome. Data on other drugs as the oral analogues of Somatostatin or Calcitonin need to be confirmed by additional studies.

Thyroid cancer in children and adolescents.

We report on 49 patients younger than 18 years at diagnosis, of 776 patients with thyroid cancer, seen in our institution in the last 17 years. Female/male ratio was 2.2:1. Histologic type was papillary in 44, follicular in 4, and medullary in 1. Initial treatment was near-total thyroidectomy with or without neck dissection. Surgical complications (vocal cord palsy, permanent hypoparathyroidism, or both) were found in 25 patients and were usually associated with more advanced primary tumors. At surgery, node metastases were present in 73% of the patients and lung metastases, detected by chest x ray films, in 6%. Patients were treated with thyroid suppressive therapy and, except the one with medullary cancer, with radioiodine (131I) therapy. After a mean follow-up of 7.7 +/- 4.4 years (range, 1 to 17 years), one patient with lung metastases died of respiratory failure. Of 36 patients who have been followed up more than 4 years, 22 (61.1%) are now cured, and 14 have metastases (to lymph nodes, 2; to nodes and lung, 10; and to lung, 2). Since 1977 serum thyroglobulin (Tg) was used routinely as a tumor marker for differentiated thyroid cancer. After operation, Tg was elevated in all patients both not receiving (mean +/- SE, 902 +/- 380 ng/ml) and receiving (44 +/- 15 ng/ml) suppressive therapy; after 131I treatment, serum Tg dropped to 104 +/- 50 and 7.3 +/- 1.7 ng/ml, without and with suppressive therapy, respectively. Of 11 patients with lung metastases treated with 131I, respiratory function, as assessed by means of spirometry, was normal in three, mildly reduced in six, and severely impaired in two (including the one who died). In conclusion, our study indicates that thyroid cancer in young patients is rather advanced at initial examination and usually associated with node and, less frequently, lung metastases. Total thyroidectomy, radioiodine treatment, and thyroid suppressive therapy represent an effective combination of treatments for this disease and allow a good quality of life. The most serious adverse effect is represented by the high incidence of surgical complications and by pulmonary restrictive disease in relation to lung metastases.

Thyroid carcinoma in thyrotoxic patients treated by surgery.

We report the incidence of thyroid cancer in a series of 1832 consecutive patients seen for thyrotoxicosis of any etiology during 1970 and 1985 in our department. Surgical treatment for thyrotoxicosis was selected as the treatment of choice in 179 patients (9.8%), 86 with toxic diffuse goiter (TDG), 21 with toxic nodular goiter (TNG) and 40 with toxic adenoma (TA). The presence of thyroid cancer was found in 11 patients for a total incidence of 6.1%. Six patients had TDG (percent incidence in this group 6.9%), 4 patients had TNG (7.5%) and 1 had TA (2.5%). While the presence of thyroid cancer was totally unsuspected in TNG and TA, in TDG 4 out of 6 patients found to have a cancer, had been suspected before surgery. When a thyroid nodule was present in a toxic diffuse goiter the possibility to face with a malignant lesion reached 22.2% of the cases (4 out of 18 cases), while only 2 out of 68 patients (2.9%) with TDG and no nodule had thyroid cancer. These results confirm recent other series reporting the frequent association of hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer and suggest that in thyrotoxic patients any nodule must be screened carefully to rule out malignancy.

Fine needle aspiration cytopathology of phyllodes tumor. Differential diagnosis with fibroadenoma.

The differential diagnosis of benign or borderline phyllodes tumors of the breast in fine needle aspiration biopsy smears was studied. Smears from five histologically proven cases and 20 proven cases of fibroadenoma were evaluated with regard to their cytologic features. The findings indicate that the presence of a high cellularity of stromal fragments (including bipolar naked nuclei), clusters of hyperplastic ductal cells and giant cells and the absence of apocrine metaplasia may suggest a diagnosis of phyllodes tumor, as opposed to fibroadenoma. The borderline phyllodes tumor showed a sarcomatous atypia and/or small intranuclear cytoplasmic invaginations in some cells. The differential diagnosis of this tumor with malignant phyllodes tumor and plasma-cell mastitis is also discussed.

Parathyroid carcinoma. Report of a case.

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare cause of hyperparathyroidism. Its prognosis is mainly related to an en-bloc resection of the tumor and of the involved structures. However because of the small number of cases reported in the international literature, biological behaviour of the disease is not well known. In this report we describe one case of parathyroid carcinoma seen in our Institution. Preoperative presumption of parathyroid carcinoma thanks to clinical features and ultrasound imaging helped us in deciding an adequate surgical resection.

Nuclear DNA analysis of insulinomas and gastrinomas.

The potential for malignancy of an islet cell tumor of the pancreas is difficult to cytologically judge when one evaluates only the primary lesion, because a malignant condition is usually determined by the presence of regional or distant metastases. Nuclear DNA cytometric measurements have proved helpful both in the evaluation of the malignant potential of other endocrine and nonendocrine lesions and in the determination of the "aggressiveness" of these tumors. Thirty-six islet cell tumors or their metastases from 25 patients were studied. Eleven patients had insulinomas and typical insulinoma syndromes, and 14 others had gastrinomas with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Tissue from each tumor was stained by the Feulgen technique, and nuclear DNA cytometry was performed by means of the microTICAS system designed by the Cytopathology Laboratory of the University of Chicago. Ploidy measurements of insulinomas, taken alone, did not discriminate well between benign and malignant states. However, the single malignant insulinoma could be clearly recognized, for it was one of only two lesions in that group with 5N-exceeding rate (5N-ER) values of 1% or greater. (5N-ER is defined as the percentage of aneuploid nuclei with nuclear DNA content greater than 5N.) On the other hand, seven of eight malignant gastrinomas had ploidy values of 2.5N or greater (our definition of an aneuploid state) and/or had 5N-ER values of 1% or greater, while five of six benign gastrinomas had ploidy values of less than 2.5N and had 5N-ER values of 0%. In addition, the two most aggressive tumors had the highest ploidy and 5N-ER values. Nuclear DNA cytometric studies appear to offer promise as an aid in the evaluation of pancreatic islet cell tumors, particularly gastrinomas.

Diagnosis and treatment of hypoglycemic disorders.

Many other hypoglycemic states can be confused with an insulinoma. This article presents the diagnosis, localization, and therapy of these islet cell tumors. Also presented is a discussion of the role of nesidioblastosis in persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia in the neonate.

Ectopic parathyroid adenoma of the lateral triangle of the neck: report of two cases.

Ectopically placed parathyroid adenomas have been described in many locations. This article documents two patients in whom the adenoma was present in the lateral triangle of the neck, outside of the carotid sheath, and lateral to the jugular vein.

Construction of a continent perineal colostomy by using electrostimulated gracilis muscles after abdominoperineal resection: personal technique and experience with 32 cases.

A series of 32 patients operated on for rectal carcinoma is reported. A new technique by using the gracilis muscles to reconstruct a functional anal sphincter after abdominoperineal resection was performed. No operative mortality was recorded. Functionality of the new sphincter was guaranteed by electromyostimulation. Electrostimulation has been useful in both increasing the muscular trophic level and in improving the postoperative bio-feedback. Perineal infection was recorded in 9 patients being the most common complication although it did not compromise the functionality of the new sphincter. In one case acute colonic ischaemia was treated by resection and definitive left colostomy. 17 out of the 27 patients in which a functional follow-up was obtained, scored a "very good" continence to stool and flatus while in 6 patients occasional episodes of incontinence to liquid stool are referred. Local or distant metastases presented in 6 patients. The obtained results encourage in continuing the research with this technique in the attempt to reduce the number of patients that must pay the high price of a definitive abdominal colostomy for cure.

Hürthle cell tumors: a twenty-five-year experience.

During a 25-year period (1959 through 1983), 54 patients with Hürthle cell tumors were treated and monitored at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Thirty percent were men and 70% were women; mean age at diagnosis was 46.7 +/- 13.2 years (range: 19 to 69 years). Tumors were grouped into three categories at the time of initial diagnosis: group 1, grossly malignant (four patients, or 7.5%); group 2, intermediate (partial capsular and/or subcapsular vascular invasion) (10 patients, or 18.5%); and group 3, benign appearing (40 patients, or 74%). Twenty-one (39%) of the patients had a history of low-dose, external radiation to the head and neck in childhood (including three of four grossly malignant lesions). A separate non-Hürthle cell thyroid carcinoma was found within the thyroid gland in 22 (50%) of the patients--79% were papillary and 21% were follicular carcinomas. In half of these, there was a history of childhood irradiation. During a mean follow-up period of 8.4 years (range, 22 days to 35 years), three additional Hürthle cell tumors were recognized as malignant after metastases were discovered--two were originally classified as intermediate lesions and one was in the benign-appearing group. Thus, seven of 54 of our patients (13%) had Hürthle cell carcinomas. One of the seven patients died of widespread metastases after 35 years, and the other six are currently free of disease. We believe that therapy of these lesions should be individualized. Total thyroid ablation (surgical procedure followed by radioiodine therapy) is appropriate for frankly malignant Hürthle cell cancers, for all Hürthle cell tumors occurring in patients who received low-dose childhood irradiation, for associated papillary or follicular carcinomas, and in those patients who exhibit partial capsular or subcapsular vascular invasion. On the other hand, single, well-encapsulated, benign-appearing Hürthle cell tumors may be treated by lobectomy and careful follow-up, since the chance that they will later exhibit malignant behavior is low (2.5% in our series and 1.5% among patients described in the recent literature).

Graves' disease and thyroid cancer.

The relationship between Graves' disease or its therapy and carcinoma of the thyroid remains uncertain. We studied 20 patients found to have thyroid cancer in glands previously treated for Graves' disease between 1961 and 1986 at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Sixteen (80%) occurred in women and four (20%) occurred in men. The mean age at operation was 37 years (range, 19 to 69 years) and did not differ by sex. Fifteen of the 20 cancers (75%) were papillary while five (25%) were follicular. Six individuals (30%) had a history of external radiation to the head and neck as an infant, child, or young adult. Two others had received radioiodine (RAI) therapy for Graves' disease 1 and 19 years earlier. Patients were divided into three groups: group I: four patients (20%) had a neck mass 4, 14, 20, and 41 years after having had a subtotal thyroidectomy (STT) for Graves' disease; three of four had a history of external irradiation therapy. These tumors behaved aggressively, resulting in the death of two of the four patients. group II: 11 patients (55%) had diffusely enlarge toxic goiters without a nodule. A carcinoma was diagnosed intraoperatively on frozen section in only two of these patients. The others received STT. After recognition on permanent section, those carcinomas that were 4 mm or greater in diameter received postoperative RAI. One recurrence occurred and was treated successfully with further RAI. group III: Five patients (25%) had Graves' disease and a palpable thyroid nodule. None of them had had a prior thyroidectomy for Graves' disease, as in group 1. Thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed in all patients preoperatively or intraoperatively, and a total thyroidectomy was performed. Each patient is alive and well with a mean follow-up of 5 years. Between 1971 and 1981, 194 patients had surgery for Graves' disease, and 10 (5.2%) were found to have an associated carcinoma; six patients (3.1% of the total) did not have a nodule or any other suspicion of malignancy before surgery. During the same time, 303 patients received RAI therapy for Graves' disease and one (0.3%) has subsequently developed thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid cancer associated with Graves' disease is found more commonly in surgically treated patients than in patients after RAI therapy. The greatest risk factor in our patients was previous external radiation to the head and neck. Such individuals should be treated with total thyroid ablation rather than the usual STT, since they are at risk of developing aggressive thyroid cancers if thyroid remnants are left.

Fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of breast masses: our experience.

The authors compare their experience, obtained after 626 examples of fine needle aspiration cytology of the breast, with the results of other departments. The very high specificity of the test is confirmed (absence of false positive). Also false negatives are quite low (6%). Finally, the repeatibility of such a procedure and the low cost suggest inclusion of fine needle aspiration cytology in every diagnostic protocol for mammary cancer.

[Carotid body tumor. Presentation of a familial case]. / Tumeur du glomus carotidien. Présentation d'un cas familial.

Report of a bilateral carotid body tumor in a female. Six members of her family also present the same disease. Epidemiology and surgical tactics are discussed. Special attention is focused on the pathogenetic mechanisms.