Twenty-one-gauge needles provide more cellular samples than twenty-five-gauge needles in fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid but may not provide increased diagnostic accuracy.

The technique of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of the thyroid is important to evaluate malignancy in thyroid nodules. Eighty-five percent of thyroid FNA procedures lead to sufficient cellular material for diagnosis. With more cells aspirated, the chance of sufficiency for diagnosis increases. Large-bore needles lead to more cellular material being aspirated but bloodier specimens that may interfere with cytologic interpretation. Small-bore needles may result in too few cells for diagnosis. We conducted a randomized prospective study contrasting 21-gauge and 25-gauge needles in the evaluation of 50 consecutively enrolled nodules at our institution. In our investigation, 21-gauge needles more frequently provided superior biopsy specimens (50%) than did 25-gauge needles (18%). In the remaining specimens (32%), the 21-gauge and 25-gauge needles provided similar cellular material. The rate of sufficient samples was the same. We conclude that use of 21-gauge needles results in more cellular specimens but may not result in increased diagnostic accuracy.

Gestational diabetes mellitus.

In summary, much controversy exists surrounding the diagnosis, treatment, and even existence of GDM. At present, there is not enough evidence to advocate the Carpenter and Coustan criteria over the NDDG criteria. In univariate analysis, the Toronto Tri-Hospital Study demonstrated an increased incidence of cesarean section, macrosomia, and preeclampsia with increasing carbohydrate intolerance in those who did not meet NDDG criteria for GDM. Multivariate analysis, however, showed that this contribution is small relative to other nonmodifiable risk factors. A shift to the Carpenter and Coustan criteria would identify a larger population of patients with GDM and increase treatment costs. In addition, although treatment of these borderline GDM patients might reduce macrosomia, there is no evidence to indicate that it reduces the cesarean section rate. The precise threshold at which glucose intolerance adversely affects pregnancy outcomes and increases the risk for the development of type 2 diabetes in the mother is unknown. The perinatal risks associated with hyperglycemia seem to increase continuously with increasing maternal hyperglycemia. More randomized intervention trials are needed to define the effects of graded increases in glucose intolerance on maternal and fetal morbidity.

Transient osteoporosis of hip in pregnancy.

Transient osteoporosis in pregnancy is a relatively rare disorder characterized by disabling pain in the hip without prior trauma and by striking radiographic evidence of osteopenia that is limited to the hip. Clinical and radiographic findings regress spontaneously within months after pregnancy and without late sequelae. In this study, we report on a case of a 28-yr-old Caucasian woman who suffered from transient osteoporosis during pregnancy. Nine months later, the patient was asymptomatic and there was resolution of the bone marrow edema pattern seen on the initial magnetic resonance imaging scan of her hip. Follow-up bone densitometry at 1 yr revealed a dramatic increase (12.3%) in bone mineral density of the symptomatic hip. We review the literature and discuss possible mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of transient osteoporosis in pregnancy.

An unusual cause of facial trismus in a child: report of case.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of facial pain, especially in patients of Asian descent. The foregoing case describes an unusual cause of a symptom often associated with temporomandibular joint dysfunction. It also emphasizes the need to eliminate an underlying neoplastic process when dealing with patients who have temporomandibular joint dysfunction or who have atypical facial pain. Malignancies of the temporomandibular joint and the periarticular area, although rare, do occur. This case shows the usefulness of computed tomography in the evaluation of a patient with temporomandibular joint dysfunction.