PSAMMOMA BODIES IN LYMPH NODES OF THE NECK: POSSIBLE PRECURSOR OF LOCOREGIONAL METASTASES OF PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA.

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of well-differentiated thyroid cancer accounting for up to 80% of all thyroid neoplasms. Metastases to the regional lymph nodes (RLN) of the neck are a feature of its biological aggressiveness. The presence of psammoma bodies may be considered a pathomorphological feature of PTC in addition to the papillary structure of tumor and specific nuclear changes. The aim of the study was to evaluate a clinical value of psammoma bodies in the RLN of PTC patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 91 patients with PTC who were surgically treated at the Verum Expert Clinic were enrolled in the study. The clinical and pathomorphological data were retrieved from the archival medical records. RESULTS: According to the results of the clinico-morphological analysis, 51 patients (56%) with PTC had metastases in the RLN of the neck, and 40 (44%) patients had no metastases. Among 51 patients with metastases in the RLN, in 4 patients psammoma bodies in the RLN and tumor tissue were identified. In 3 of these 4 patients, the size of the primary PTC tumor was less than 10 mm, but an aggressive cancer course such as significant number of metastases in the RLN or multifocal growth was found in all these cases. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of psammoma bodies in RLN and primary PTC tumor could be suggested as a predictor of metastasis to lymph nodes. The detection of point echogenic foci in the lymph nodes by ultrasound at the preoperative stage is a sign of psammoma bodies. This finding can be useful for improving the efficacy in selection of surgical treatment tactics for the optimal neck dissection by planning neck dissection in the presence of such point echogenic foci at the preoperative stage and performing regular check-ups of the patients.

APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CIVIL AND MILITARY MEDICINE.

Artificial intelligence (AI) encompasses the advancement of computers and robots, enabling them to surpass human capabilities in various aspects. By utilizing AI, programs have the ability to autonomously analyze and interpret data, offering information and executing actions without any human involvement. The ongoing war in Ukraine showed various aspects of severe gunshot injuries because of previously unknown course of wounds after application of ballistic missiles, drones, etc., which is frequently applied by russians. In such conditions, decision-making process by military medical doctors must be quick and rational, however in case of massive casualties, combined trauma (e.g. thoracoabdominal gunshot injury) MDs might have permanent challenges to apply appropriate care options and individualized approach. The aim of this study is to start the discussion about role and possible application of AI in management of gunshot injuries in combat patients or other individuals who received wounds relating to high-energy weapon. Conclusions. Gunshot wound is a clinical challenge in many cases among patients who were injured by high-energy weapons, requiring complex and quick decisions. AI might be applied as an additional tool for the decision-making process in case of severe trauma in deployed field hospitals, or in hospitals of higher Roles (3-4). This study is to start the research discussion about the utility of AI application for the management of the injured in the war associated with high-energy weapons.

Refixation of the Excised Acetabular Labrum can Affect the Structural Changes of Cartilage Surface in the Hip Joint / La Refijación del Labrum Acetabular Extirpado Puede Afectar los Cambios Estructurales de la Superficie del Cartílago en la Articulación Coxal

SUMMARY: Refixation of the damaged acetabular labrum is a method of surgical treatment of the hip joint that can promote the repair of joint function after injury and prevent premature osteoarthritis. We sought to determine the condition of the hip joint in rabbits 4 months after excision of the acetabular labrum and the condition of the joint after labral refixation. The articular cartilage of the femoral head and acetabulum was examined by histological methods, multipoint measurement of cartilage thickness, and the ratio between cartilage matrix and chondrocytes lacunae, and the condition of cartilage according to the OARSI grading scale was carried out. On this model, a correlation analysis was performed between the results of the OARSI grading scale and the data of linear morphometry. All these parameters made it possible to better assess changes in articular cartilage. The ratio between matrix and chondrocyte lacunae turned out to be a method that allows establishing early cartilage damage when erosion, fibrosis or deformation did not occur. We found significant differences between the condition of the cartilage after exicion of acetabular labrum and after labral refixation, which give hope to confirm that this surgical technique can delay or prevent progressive changes in the cartilage of the damaged hip joint.

La refijación del labrum acetabular dañado es un método de tratamiento quirúrgico de la articulación coxal, que puede promover la reparación de la función articular después de una lesión y prevenir la osteoartritis prematura. Intentamos determinar el estado de la articulación coxal en conejos de 4 meses después de la escisión del labrum acetabular y observar el estado de la articulación después de la refijación del labrum. El cartílago articular de la cabeza femoral y el acetábulo se examinó por métodos histológicos, se midió a través de multipunto el grosor del cartílago y se realizó la relación entre la matriz del cartílago y las lagunas de condrocitos, y se llevó a cabo la condición del cartílago según la escala de clasificación OARSI. Sobre este modelo se realizó un análisis de correlación entre los resultados de la escala de calificación OARSI y los datos de la morfometría lineal. Todos estos parámetros permitieron evaluar mejor los cambios en el cartílago articular. La relación entre la matriz y las lagunas de condrocitos resultó ser un método que permite establecer temprano el daño del cartílago cuando no se presentó erosión, fibrosis o deformación. Encontramos diferencias significativas entre la condición del cartílago después de la extirpación del labrum acetabular y después de la refijación del labrum, lo que da la esperanza de confirmar que esta técnica quirúrgica puede retrasar o prevenir cambios progresivos en el cartílago de la articulación coxal dañada.

MILESTONES AND PITFALLS IN STRATEGIC PLANNING OF HEALTHCARE IN CAPITAL CITY IN TRANSITION.

A little is known about healthcare sector within Strategic plan of Kyiv, which is capital of Ukraine and a city in transition. The aim of this study was to investigate and evaluate implementation of strategic plan for Kyiv with the focus on healthcare sector. There were evaluated Strategic plan for Kyiv, Concept for healthcare development from the Department of Healthcare, City's target program "Health of Kyivers". Data analyses showed 13 (45%) out of 29 strategic initiatives were not implemented for healthcare sector. Data from statistical analyses indicated that low performance from Department of Healthcare was similar for all operational goals. Our findings demonstrated low implementation rate of strategic initiatives within the healthcare sector of city's Strategic plan. Possible causes of low strategic performance could be due to weak institutional relations between top and low executive levels, as well as inconsistency in strategic documents, stuff turnover.

MULTIGLANDULAR PARATHYROID GLAND DISEASE: AN INCIDENTAL DISCOVERY IN NORMOCALCEMIC PATIENTS DURING THYROID SURGERY.

CONTEXT: Several enlarged parathyroid glands could be found during thyroid surgery in normocalcemic patients without evidence of primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism, indicating multiglandular parathyroid gland disease (MGD). OBJECTIVE: Clinical role of various levels of serum ionized calcium (Ca2+) in patients diagnosed with incidental MGD during thyroid surgery remains controversial. The aim of the study was to evaluate the features of PHPT and the clinical role of serum Ca2+ in normocalcemic patients diagnosed with incidental MGD. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study of patients with normal preoperative Ca2+ to be operated on for thyroid diseases in 2010-2013 and diagnosed with MGD during thyroid surgery. METHODS: An analysis of clinical data from 3,561 patients to be surgically treated for thyroid diseases revealed 219 (6%) patients with MGD and normal serum Ca2+. Further data analyses showed patients with MGD and high normal (≥1.25 - 1.3 mmol/L) serum Ca2+ (n = 89) and with moderate-low (1.0 - 1.24 mmol/L) serum Ca2+ (n = 130). RESULTS: Primary hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed intra- and post-operatively in 48 (54%) patients with high-normal serum Ca2+ and in 2 (2%) patients with moderate-low serum Ca2+ (p<0.0001). Parathyroid hormone, serum Ca2+ as well as urine calcium excretion were elevated in 2 (2%) patients with moderate-low serum Ca2+ and in 18 (20%) patients with high-normal Ca2+ at follow-up (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Serum Ca2+ level within the normal range, but higher than 1.25 mmol/L (high-normal) is associated with primary hyperparathyroidism, which should be considered in patients with visually diagnosed MGD, but without clinical symptoms of hyperparathyroidism.

The age- and shorter telomere-dependent TERT promoter mutation in follicular thyroid cell-derived carcinomas.

Telomerase activation through induction of its catalytic component telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression is essential for malignant transformation. TERT promoter mutations namely C228T and C250T that stimulate TERT transcription and telomerase activation have recently been identified in many human malignancies. We thus determined these mutations and their biological and clinical implications in thyroid carcinomas in the present study. The TERT promoter was sequenced in 10 thyroid cancer cell lines and 144 tumors from 20 patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC), 51 with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), 36 with follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), and 37 with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). We identified C228T or C250T mutation in 6/8 of ATC cell lines, as well as in tumor tissue from 10/20, 13/51, 8/36 and 0/37 patients with ATC, PTC, FTC and MTC, respectively. In PTC patients, these mutations were exclusively present in the group with age >45 years (P<0.0001), and highly correlated shorter telomeres (P<0.0001) and distant metastasis (P=0.028). The previous radioactivity exposure did not induce the mutation. The presence of C228T or C250T was an independent predictor associated with shorter disease-related survival (DRS) in the entire cohort (P<0.0001), as well as among patients >45 years (P=0.021). ATC patients carrying the mutation survived shorter than those without mutations, although not statistically significant (P=0.129). The TERT promoter mutation was associated with overall survival (P=0.038) and DRS (P=0.058) of FTC patients. Taken together, age- and shorter telomere-dependent TERT promoter mutations occur frequently in follicular cell-derived thyroid carcinoma (ATC, PTC and FTC) but not in parafollicular cell-originated MTC, and may serve as a marker for aggressive disease and poor outcome.