Onset of ulcerative colitis after thyrotoxicosis: a case report and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease that could be triggered by acute stressful events, such as gastrointestinal infections or emotional stress. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reported the case of the onset of an ulcerative colitis after a thyrotoxicosis crisis and reviewed the literature about the relationships between thyroid dysfunctions and ulcerative colitis. RESULTS: A 38-year-old woman was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis after her third thyrotoxicosis crisis, two years after the diagnosis of Graves' disease. In this case, thyrotoxicosis acted as a trigger for ulcerative colitis onset. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperthyroidism could be a trigger able to elicit ulcerative colitis in susceptible patients.

Parathyroid cysts: description of two cases and review of the literature.

Parathyroid cysts are a relatively rare cause of neck swelling, and their anatomo-pathological and clinical features are still under debate. Two types of parathyroid cysts have been recognized: the non-functioning or essential forms, which are more frequent, and the adenomatous or functioning parathyroid cysts, which are rarer and cause hyperparathyroidism. Two cases of parathyroid cysts are reported and the treatment is described bearing in mind the various therapeutic procedures proposed in the literature. Attention is focused on pre-operative differential diagnosis from other masses, in the same area, and, to this end, the importance is stressed of assaying parathyroid hormone levels in the cystic fluid, obtained by fine-needle aspiration, and correlating these values with serum levels of the hormone.

[Quality control at the Istituto di Anatomia e Istologia patologica at the Università di Bologna]. / Controllo di qualità dell'Istituto di Anatomia e Istologia patologica dell'Università di Bologna.

The growing importance in medical practice of a standardized diagnosis in cyto- and histopathology and the recent recommendations for the adoption of standardized schemes for quality control in anatomic pathology by International Committees stimulated the medical staff of the Institute of Anatomic Pathology of the University of Bologna to adopt a pertinent method. The method used by the Department of Pathology of the Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut, USA) was chosen. A Committee for the quality control was appointed and two kinds of controls were set up: an External Quality Assessment (review of the difficult cases by external experts, slide seminars) and an Internal Quality Assessment performed by the members of the Committee on the diagnostic and laboratory routine of the Institute. Such a survey is periodically monitored during the monthly meetings of the Committee and described in the monthly reports. The present paper illustrates the method adopted and the preliminary results obtained in order to stimulate the discussion of such a critical theme in contemporary Anatomic Pathology at a national level.