Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic thyroidectomy, initially an experimental procedure, is now being performed in increasing frequency. It aims to provide patients undergoing thyroidectomy with a 'scar-free' surgery. Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy is one such novel procedure that is based on the principles of natural orifice translumenal surgery (NOTES) and allows for a truly scar-free surgery with minimal dissection. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 21-year-old female presented with a swelling over the left side of her neck. Ultrasound revealed a solitary nodule and FNAC showed features suggestive of a follicular adenoma. DISCUSSION: The patient underwent transoral endoscopic hemi-thyroidectomy. The procedure lasted for 2h and is one of the few documented cases of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy performed on live patients. CONCLUSION: Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy is proving to be a feasible technique with little or no complications as compared to other endoscopic thyroid surgeries. It provides surgeons with easy access to the thyroid gland and patients with aesthetically pleasing results.

Efficacy and safety of tigecycline monotherapy compared with vancomycin-aztreonam in the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections in patients from India and Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: To compare the monotherapy of tigecycline with vancomycin-aztreonam in hospitalized patients from India and Taiwan with complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSIs). METHODS: Safety and efficacy data were analyzed for Indian (n = 86) and Taiwanese (n = 41) patients hospitalized with cSSSIs who participated in two international Phase 3, randomized, double-blind studies. RESULTS: Patients were treated for 5-14 days. Cure rates at the test-of-cure assessment (12-92 days post-therapy) were generally similar between tigecycline and vancomycin-aztreonam in the clinically evaluable populations (India, 83.3% vs. 75.8%; Taiwan, 78.6% vs. 90%) and in the clinical modified intent-to-treat populations (India, 78.6% vs. 66.7%; Taiwan, 73.3% vs. 75.0%). Nausea and vomiting occurred more frequently with tigecycline, but overall safety and tolerability were comparable between the two treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Tigecycline monotherapy is a safe and effective therapy for cSSSIs in geographically distinct populations in Asia.

Disseminated malignant fibrous histiocytoma (giant cell rich): a case report.

Giant cell rich malignant fibrous histiocytoma accounts for 3 -15% of all malignant fibrous histiocytomas. Currently, the nomenclature giant cell malignant fibrous histiocytoma is reserved for undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas with prominent osteoclastic giant cells. It is considered to be synonymous with malignant giant cell tumor of soft parts. We report a case of disseminated giant cell malignant fibrous histiocytoma involving the scalp, cervical node, lungs, spine, abdominal wall, base of penis, gluteal cleft, paraspinal region and back. The diagnosis was established after staining for a panel of immunohistochemical markers namely cytokeratin, vimentin, S100, desmin, CD68 and smooth muscle actin. CD68 positivity in tumor cells helped in arriving at the final diagnosis. It is essential to recognize this tumor as a giant cell rich distinct entity and differentiate from other giant cell rich pleomorphic sarcomas since therapeutic and prognostic differences are being appreciated currently.