[Fine needle puncture--method of treatment in nodular pathology of the thyroid]. / La ponction à aiguille fine--méthode de traitement dans la pathologie nodulaire de la thyroïde.

Fine needle biopsy (FNB) has been used as a therapeutic method in different nodular lesions of the thyroid. Between 1989-1995, 295 subjects with thyroid cysts, 235 women and 60 men have been treated by FNB. The treatment of cysts was performed by: one or multiple aspirations in 207 cases, sclerosis by injection with tetracycline in 77 cases and by ethanol washing in 11 cases. 263 (89.11%) cases have been cured and we have lost track of 32 cases in the survey. Of the 207 cases treated by aspiration, 177 (86.5%) have been cured after one or more aspirations. Of the 77 cases treated by injections with tetracycline, 75 (97.26%) displayed sclerosis after one or more injections. All 11 cases treated by ethanol washing method displayed sclerosis. Between 1993-1995 we used percutaneous ethanol injection (PE1) in 6 cases, as an alternative to the classic treatment, in order to induce necrosis of toxic adenoma. After 1 to 9 injections all cases were cured, with the appearance of the entire image of the gland on the scintigram. In 4 cases of cold nodules with benign cytology PEI, induced a significant decrease of volume appreciated by sonography.

[Therapy with large doses of methylprednisolone in Basedow's ophthalmopathy]. / Terapia cu doze mari de metilprednisolon în oftalmopatia basedowiana.

Up to now there is no satisfactory therapeutical method in Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). Recently, several authors have published the results of the so-called "pulse" method of corticotherapy, using intravenous methylprednisolone (MP) 1 g dissolved in 200 ml isotonic NaCl solution. We have treated with this method 4 patients (3 women and 1 man, aged between 35-62 years) with severe GO (III-V class after AMT Classification). Although the number of perfusions varied between 1 (2 patients) and 8, the results are encouraging: 3 improvements, 1 stationary evolution (after a single "pulse"). We have not noticed important side-effects. In conclusion we consider that the "pulse" method have proved its efficiency, recommendable in severe GO.