Does Graves' disease during puberty influence adult bone mineral density?

AIM: To evaluate the bone mineral density at lumbar spine and at femoral neck in a group of young adults in whom Graves' disease developed during childhood and adolescence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined 28 patients (5 male, 23 female, age 20.9 +/- 3.3 years) who were 11.8 +/- 2.9 years old at the onset of Graves' disease. They were treated either with methimazole (14 patients) or with methimazole plus l-thyroxine (14 patients). At the time of the investigation, 13 patients were considered cured following antithyroid treatment, 2 were still on antithyroid drugs, 3 were on replacement therapy with l-thyroxine because of hypothyroidism, and 10, treated either surgically or with (131)I, were on replacement therapy. The bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and at the femoral neck, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: The spinal bone mineral density SD score was -0.28 +/- 1.02, the femoral neck bone mineral density SD score was 0.36 +/- 1.02, and both were not different from zero (NS). We did not find any correlation between the bone mineral density of the femoral neck and that of the lumbar spine and the clinical parameters. CONCLUSION: Graves' disease, beginning in childhood and adolescence, when appropriately treated, does not affect attainment of peak bone mass.

Axillary lymph node metastases detection with nuclear medicine approaches in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

Three different tracers, Tc-99m-Sesta MIBI, In-111-Pentetreotide and F-18-FDG, were evaluated in a preliminary study in three different groups of 10 breast cancer patients programmed for breast cancer resection and axillary dissection. Planar scintigraphy and single photon emission tomography (SPET) technique were used for imaging with Tc-99m-Sesta-MIBI and In-111-Pentetreotide, positron emission tomography (PET) was used for imaging with F-18-FDG. We studied 30 breast cancer patients; their clinical stage according to the TNM classification was 30 T1-T2, 1 T4 and 1 Tx (one patient had bilateral cancer and one had bifocal cancer). The lymph nodal status ranged from NO to N2 (14 NO, 16 N1, 1 N2). Tc-99m-Sesta MIBI, In-111 Pentetreotide SPET and F-18-FDG PET were randomly performed before surgery to visualize the primary tumors and to detect axillary lymph node invasion. Tc-99m-Sesta MIBI correctly visualized 10 out of 11 primary cancers in 10 patients. In-111-Pentetreotide detected 9 out of 10 primary cancers. F-18-FDG imaged all the tumors (10). As regards the axillary nodes, Tc-99m-MIBI excluded axilla involvement in 7 out of 7 negative axillae (N-), while it was positive in 2 out of 3 positive cases (N+); In-111-Pentetreotide correctly identified 7 out of 8 negative axillae (N-), while it detected 2 of 3 positive sites. F-18-FDG visualized all positive axillary lymph nodes (4 out of 4 N+ patients) and correctly excluded involvement in all negative patients (6 out of 6 N- cases). This study demonstrated that all three tracers are adequate to be proposed as tumor seeking agents with the aim of developing non-invasive diagnostic methods for pre-operative detection of axillary metastases, so that surgical dissection can be limited to selected patients. The authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different radiopharmaceuticals and conclude that in centers with PET facilities F-18-FDG is the best tumor seeking agent for the evaluation of axillary status. Between Tc-99m-Sesta MIBI and In-111-Pentetreotide the former seems to present more advantages in this kind of application, considering also its lower cost and easier availability. These results encourage further study, including the simultaneous comparison of these tracers in breast cancer staging.

Head and neck extranodal non-hodgkin-lymphoma - radiation-therapy and chemotherapy.

One hundred and seventy-five patients with extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) treated between 1974 and 1993 in the Institute of Radiology and in the Department of Haematology of 'La Sapienza' University of Rome, have been examined. The sites involved were: Waldeyer's ring 96 patients (tonsils 84, nasopharinx 12), parotid 20, orbit 16, oral cavity 16, paranasal sinus 7, mandible 7, nasal fossal 3, minor salivary glands 3, larynx 3, conjunctive 2, lacrymal glands 1, thyroid 1. One hundred and forty-three patients had high and medium grade unfavourable histology; 68 patients were in stage I, 67 in II, 23 in III and 17 in IV. Fifteen patients were treated with radiotherapy alone and 86% obtained complete remission (CR). Chemotherapy alone was used in 90 cases and 87% C.R, was achieved; when chemotherapy in association with radiotherapy was used in 70 cases 85% obtained CR. The actuarial survival rate was 79% and recurrence-free survival in those patients who achieved complete remission 87%. Surviving and relapse-free patients were analysed in relation to main prognostic factors and therapy, and patterns of recurrence are reported. From the analysis of these cases we can learn how systemic therapy combined with the general conditions of patients and histology can control the disease. A minor relapse incidence with pharmacological therapy combined with a radiotherapic loco-regional treatment was also ascertained.

Bilateral ovarian thecosis and virilization in pregnancy. A case report.

Virilization is usually associated with amenorrhea, infertility and ovarian stromal lesions. Paradoxically, however, it may also be seen in pregnancy; this type of virilization is rare and accompanies ovarian thecosis. Thecosis, also known as thecomatosis and stromal thecosis, is a complex assortment of types of ovarian stromal proliferation associated with various types and amounts of hormonal activity. A patient had progressive virilization that began about seven years after menarche. Nonetheless, she had six pregnancies and bore five normal living children. Her last child, a female, was not affected by the high maternal testosterone levels. The patient's virilization was associated with an ovarian stromal hyperplasia classified as combined thecosis. In this case, as in some others, there was reason to suspect a genetic basis for such progressive virilization with retained fertility; an analysis of it provides insight into the complex nature of ovarian stromal hyperplasia and hormonal activity.