Cystic Echinococcosis of the Breast - Diagnostic Dilemma or just a Rare Primary Localization.

INTRODUCTION: Although the liver and lung are the most frequently affected organs in cystic echinococcosis, the cysts may develop in any viscera and tissues. Breast is a rare primary localization with few cases described in the literature. We present an updated and systematic review and discuss the possible mechanisms of spreading, diagnostic and treatment options. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a literature search in PUBMED using the key words 'hydatid disease', 'cystic echinococcosis' and 'breast echinococcosis' without time limitation. Only studies reporting breast cystic echinococcosis were included. RESULTS: Overall, 121 cases with cystic echinococcosis and 2 with alveolar echinococcosis were reported. A total of 52 cases were included in the analysis. The mean size of cysts was 5.5 cm (range 1.7-12). The most common clinical presentation was painless lump presented from 4 months to 19 years before the final diagnosis. Most cases had isolated breast CE, few cases had synchronous localizations ­ femoral, thigh and lung, and previous liver CE. Most were active CL and CE1-2 cysts (72%). Ultrasound was used in 83%, followed by mammography (35%). Fine needle aspiration was reported in 27 cases with positive finding in 59%. CONCLUSIONS: In cases with cystic breast lesions from endemic regions we recommend the US as a gold standard. CT and MRT are more accurate but expensive tools without the potential to change the surgical tactic. In contrast to the other localizations of CE, complete excision of the cysts is the best diagnostic and treatment approach.

Intraoperative neuromonitoring versus visual nerve identification for prevention of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in adults undergoing thyroid surgery.

BACKGROUND: Injuries to the recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve (RILN) remain one of the major post-operative complications after thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Damage to this nerve can result in a temporary or permanent palsy, which is associated with vocal cord paresis or paralysis. Visual identification of the RILN is a common procedure to prevent nerve injury during thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Recently, intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) has been introduced in order to facilitate the localisation of the nerves and to prevent their injury during surgery. IONM permits nerve identification using an electrode, where, in order to measure the nerve response, the electric field is converted to an acoustic signal. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of IONM versus visual nerve identification for the prevention of RILN injury in adults undergoing thyroid surgery. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, ICTRP Search Portal and ClinicalTrials.gov. The date of the last search of all databases was 21 August 2018. We did not apply any language restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing IONM nerve identification plus visual nerve identification versus visual nerve identification alone for prevention of RILN injury in adults undergoing thyroid surgery DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts for relevance. One review author carried out screening for inclusion, data extraction and 'Risk of bias' assessment and a second review author checked them. For dichotomous outcomes, we calculated risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). For continuous outcomes, we calculated mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs. We assessed trials for certainty of the evidence using the GRADE instrument. MAIN RESULTS: Five RCTs with 1558 participants (781 participants were randomly assigned to IONM and 777 to visual nerve identification only) met the inclusion criteria; two trials were performed in Poland and one trial each was performed in China, Korea and Turkey. Inclusion and exclusion criteria differed among trials: previous thyroid or parathyroid surgery was an exclusion criterion in three trials. In contrast, this was a specific inclusion criterion in another trial. Three trials had central neck compartment dissection or lateral neck dissection and Graves' disease as exclusion criteria. The mean duration of follow-up ranged from 6 to 12 months. The mean age of participants ranged between 41.7 years and 51.9 years.There was no firm evidence of an advantage or disadvantage comparing IONM with visual nerve identification only for permanent RILN palsy (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.77; P = 0.54; 4 trials; 2895 nerves at risk; very low-certainty evidence) or transient RILN palsy (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.08; P = 0.09; 4 trials; 2895 nerves at risk; very low-certainty evidence). None of the trials reported health-related quality of life. Transient hypoparathyroidism as an adverse event was not substantially different between intervention and comparator groups (RR 1.25; 95% CI 0.45 to 3.47; P = 0.66; 2 trials; 286 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Operative time was comparable between IONM and visual nerve monitoring alone (MD 5.5 minutes, 95% CI -0.7 to 11.8; P = 0.08; 3 trials; 1251 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Three of five included trials provided data on all-cause mortality: no deaths were reported. None of the trials reported socioeconomic effects. The evidence reported in this review was mostly of very low certainty, particularly because of risk of bias, a high degree of imprecision due to wide confidence intervals and substantial between-study heterogeneity. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Results from this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that there is currently no conclusive evidence for the superiority or inferiority of IONM over visual nerve identification only on any of the outcomes measured. Well-designed, executed, analysed and reported RCTs with a larger number of participants and longer follow-up, employing the latest IONM technology and applying new surgical techniques are needed.

Synchronous papillary thyroid cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Case report.

RATIONALE: Differentiated thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy with concomitant hematological malignancy in 7%. PATIENT CONCERNS: We present a case of a synchronous papillary thyroid cancer and a follicular variant of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and discuss the possible diagnostic and treatment dilemmas. DIAGNOSIS: A 48-year-old female was reffered to our hospital with diagnosis "thyroid cancer". Due to a history compatable of synchronous lymphoproliferative disease we performed a computed tomography, which revealed multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, mediastinum, axilla and abdomen. INTERVENTIONS: A total thyroidectomy with dissection of the central compartment was performed. The microscopic examination of thyroid gland revealed multifocal papilary thyroid cancer and metastaes from the same cancer plus aggressive follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the lymph nodes. Despite the classic approach "solid cancer first", due to the advanced stage of lymphoma we first started the chemotherapy of NHL. She received 8 cycles of CHOP and I therapy with 129 mCi. Because of incomplete response 4 cycles Mabthera plus Bendamustin were added. The follow-up PET scan revealed complete remission of lymphoma and bilaterally enlarged single cervical lymph nodes, previously known to be iodine positive on I-SPECT/CT. She was sheduled for bilateral radical neck LND. OUTCOMES: Complete remission of NHL and residual single metastatic cervical lymph nodes requiring bilateral radical neck LND. LESSONS: The synchronous DTC and NHL is rare. To date, there is no standardized approach due to lack of experience. We suggest lymphoma first approach with synchronized and tailored multidisciplinary efforts. The molecular mechanisms of this link are poorly understood and yet remain to be elucidated.

Medical aspects of terrorist bombings - a focus on DCS and DCR.

Although terrorist bombings have tormented the world for a long time, currently they have reached unprecedented levels and become a continuous threat without borders, race or age. Almost all of them are caused by improvised explosive devices. The unpredictability of the terrorist bombings, leading to simultaneous generation of a large number of casualties and severe "multidimensional" blast trauma require a constant vigilance and preparedness of every hospital worldwide. Approximately 1-2.6% of all trauma patients and 7% of the combat casualties require a massive blood transfusion. Coagulopathy is presented in 65% of them with mortality exceeding 50%. Damage control resuscitation is a novel approach, developed in the military practice for treatment of this subgroup of trauma patients. The comparison with the conventional approach revealed mortality reduction with 40-74%, lower frequency of abdominal compartment syndrome (8% vs. 16%), sepsis (9% vs. 20%), multiorgan failure (16% vs. 37%) and a significant reduction of resuscitation volumes, both crystalloids and blood products. DCS and DCR are promising new approaches, contributing for the mortality reduction among the most severely wounded patients. Despite the lack of consensus about the optimal ratio of the blood products and the possible influence of the survival bias, we think that DCR carries survival benefit and recommend it in trauma patients with exsanguinating bleeding.