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Biomedical subjects

Catherine Hoang

Publications and source records attributed to Catherine Hoang.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Extensive thyroidectomy in Graves' disease.

BACKGROUND: The best surgical treatment for hyperthyroidism caused by Graves' disease remains a controversial subject. METHODS: Seven hundred fourteen consecutive patients underwent total or near-total thyroidectomy for Graves' disease in a 13-year period. In a first analysis, postoperative rates of suffocating hematoma, wound infection, recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy, hypoparathyroidism, and persistence or recurrence of hyperthyroidism, were studied and compared with the same parameters in 4,426 patients who underwent bilateral thyroid gland resection for other conditions. A second analysis identified factors associated with postoperative complications among Graves' disease patients. RESULTS: Comparing Graves' disease patients with patients who had bilateral thyroid resection for other conditions, the transient morbidity rate was 13.3% versus 8.2% (p < 0.0001), with 10.2% versus 5.0% (p < 0.0001) hypoparathyroidism, 2.2% versus 1.7% (p = 0.35) RLN palsy, 1.7% versus 0.9% (p < 0.05) suffocating hematoma, and 0.3% versus 0.4% (p = 0.67) wound infection, respectively. Permanent morbidity rate was 2% versus 2.2% (p = 0.72), including 0.4% versus 0.6% RLN palsy and 1.5% versus 1.7% hypoparathyroidism. Among the Graves' disease patients, univariate analysis revealed that those who experienced postoperative complications had a higher weight resected thyroid gland (odds ratio = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.3) and a higher rate of total thyroidectomy (24.4% versus 19.5%, odds ratio = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4-3.4) than patients without complications. In the multivariable model, these two factors remained independent. There was no recurrence of hyperthyroidism with a median followup of 6.7 years (interquartile range 4.1 to 10.1 years). Persistent hyperthyroidism developed in three patients. CONCLUSIONS: Total or near-total thyroidectomy is an effective and safe treatment for Graves' disease when performed by an experienced surgeon.

Adult↗

[An unusual cause of jejunal intussusception: heterotopic and hyperplastic Brunner's gland pseudo-tumor].

We report the first case of small-bowel intussusception caused by a tumour-like Brunner's gland hyperplasia in a 26 year old woman. The patient presented with intense abdominal pain. Abdominal and pelvic contrast enhanced CT-scan suggested small bowel intussusception involving the first jejunal loop. A 15 cm long polypoid mass was found in the jejunumectomy specimen (2nd and 3rd loops). Histological examination revealed Brunner's gland hyperplasia in the jejunal mucosa and submucosa. Considering the jejunal location of the lesion, it must be considered malformative and heterotopic Brunner's gland hyperplasia.

Abdominal Pain↗

Prognostic factors associated with the survival of patients developing loco-regional recurrences of differentiated thyroid carcinomas.

To estimate survival of patients with loco-regional recurrences (LRRs) of differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs) and to identify factors associated with survival after LRRs, we analyzed retrospective data of the 172 patients treated and followed up in our institution from 1958 to 2000 who had developed LRRs (6% of DTC patients). Ultrasound, when used, picked up 95% of the recurrences. Survival was estimated with the method of Kaplan-Meier, and associated prognostic features were studied in univariate and multivariate Cox model-based analyses. Cumulated survival rates 10 yr after LRRs were 49.1, 89.3, and 32.1% for all patients, patients aged less than 45 yr, and older patients, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified three features related to initial tumor (age >/= 45 yr, follicular histology, presence of thyroid capsular effraction), the absence of radioiodine ablation of thyroid remnants after initial surgery (10% of patients did not receive radioiodine), the presence of distant metastases before LRR diagnosis, and two features related to the LRRs (no radioiodine uptake and thyroid bed location) as significantly associated with a reduced survival. Our results underline the seriousness of LRRs of DTCs and could be used to identify patients who should benefit from a closer follow-up and especially reactive therapeutic intervention.

Adolescent↗

Effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (ursodiol) treatment on chronic viral hepatitis in heart transplant patients: results of a prospective, double-blind, placebo-randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic viral hepatitis averages 15% to 20% in heart transplant patients. Several studies have shown that ursodiol may improve liver biochemistry in patients with chronic hepatitis. We used a double-blind randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of ursodiol in heart transplant patients with chronic viral hepatitis. METHODS: Thirty heart patients with chronic viral hepatitis B, C, or non-A-G received ursodiol, 800 mg per day (group 1), and 30 received placebo (group 2) for 12 months. Endpoints were improvement in liver biochemical tests and in total Knodell score. Intent-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were performed. RESULTS: At entry, both groups were comparable for all of the studied parameters. During the study period, serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase variations were not different between group 1 and group 2 patients. Knodell score improved in 20% of group 1 patients and in 43% of group 2 patients (NS). Adverse events or mortality were not different in the two groups during the study period. Similar results were observed by intent-to-treat and per-protocol analyses. CONCLUSIONS: A 12-month course of ursodiol therapy had no effect on liver enzymes or liver histology in heart transplant patients with chronic hepatitis.

Adult↗

Interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility in the histopathology of follicular thyroid carcinoma.

We evaluated the interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility in the histopathology of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). Forty-one anonymous FTC pathology slides were independently reviewed by 5 pathologists, and 31 of them were also evaluated twice by the same pathologist. A final consensus diagnosis (FCD) was made at the end of the study. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was determined as the kappa statistic for qualitative data and intraclass correlation coefficient for quantitative data. The agreement between the 5 observers' initial diagnosis and the FCD was 0.69, 0.41, 0.35, 0.28 and 0.11, respectively, strongly suggesting a leadership phenomenon. The FCD classified 30 cases as malignant, including 24 cases diagnosed as FTC. There was unanimous agreement about 13 of the 24 FTCs. Diagnostic reproducibility was found to be acceptable for the nonminimally invasive FTC. Diagnostic discrepancies occurred in 57% of the seven cases classified as minimally invasive FTC by the FCD. FCD excluded malignancy in 11 cases including 6 atypical adenomas. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement for FTC diagnosis was 0.23 (standard error [SE], 0.04) and 0.68, respectively. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement for the presence of vascular invasion was 0.20 (SE, 0.04) and 0.51, respectively, contrasting with a moderate to substantial level of agreement when considering the number of vascular invasion. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement for nucleus optical clearing were slight and moderate, respectively. The importance of the study is the confirmation that diagnostic reproducibility of minimally invasive FTC is low and that this has clinical implications, and also implications for the design of studies into the treatment and outcome of FTC.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

Selection of patients with solitary thyroid nodules for operation.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the preoperative selection for operation of patients with solitary thyroid nodules. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: University hospital, France. PATIENTS: 155 consecutive patients who presented with solitary thyroid nodules and were operated on. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical examination, ultrasound examination, fine needle aspiration biopsy, followed by total thyroid lobectomy with frozen section and final histological examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Correct prediction of thyroid carcinoma or benign adenoma. RESULTS: A logistic regression analysis indicated that absence of rim (p < 0.002), solid and hypoechoic feature (p < 0.003) and malignant or suspicious fine needle aspiration biopsy results (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with malignancy. Selection for operation by the logistic model would save 40 of 73 patients from operation and 40 of 59 from unnecessarily radical operation. It would detect a similar number of cancers as a strategy based solely on fine needle aspiration cytology. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of the available diagnostic methods provides substantial benefit in the preoperative selection of patients with an isolated thyroid nodule.

Adenocarcinoma, Papillary↗

Inhibition of human plasma leucine5-enkephalin aminopeptidase hydrolysis by various endogenous peptides and a select number of clinically used drugs.

We identified a number of clinically used drugs and biologically active endogenous peptides able to significantly decrease the rate of human plasmatic aminopeptidase (AP) leucine-enkephalin (LEU) degradation. Bacitracin, bestatin, fluvoxamine, and each of 4 peptides tested significantly increased, in a dose-dependent manner (10-10 M), LEU degradation half-life (t1/2) in each of 5 plasma samples studied. Each sample was obtained by pooling equal volume of 6 randomly selected, individual plasmas (4 male and 2 female healthy, drug-free volunteers). Thirty subjects (20 females and 10 males) participated in this study. With the exception of fluvoxamine, this inhibitory effect was lacking in various other commonly used drugs with widely different chemical structures and pharmacological profiles, eg, antidepressants (SSRIs, imipramine-like tricyclics, MAOIs), acute antimigraine agents (triptan class drugs), the nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol, and serotonin receptor agonists and antagonists. Agents (concentration 10 M used as illustration), listed in decreasing order of LEU-AP inhibitory activity: substance P > angiotensin III > methionine-enkephalin > angiotensin II > fluvoxamine > bestatin gave t1/2 values (+/- SD) of 39.3 +/- 1.1, 29.4 +/- 0.8, 28.3 +/- 0.8, 27.4 +/- 0.7, 24.5 +/- 1.5, and 23.6 +/- 0.9 minutes, respectively. Control, bacitracin, and fluphenazine (known LEU-AP inhibitors were used for comparison) values of 11.8 +/- 1.0, 31.3 +/- 0.7, and 19.6 +/- 1.0 minutes, respectively. As expected, these drugs significantly decreased the initial velocity of peptide degradation; Iv values (+/- SD) of: 0.17 +/- 0.1 (0.02 +/- 0.01), 0.23 +/- 0.2 (0.02 +/- 0.01), 0.25 +/- 0.2 (0.02 +/- 0.01), 0.26 +/- 0.2 (0.03 +/- 0.01), 0.31 +/- 0.1 (0.03 +/- 0.01), and 0.33 +/- 0.1 (0.03 +/- 0.01), respectively; control, bacitracin, and fluphenazine: 1.10 +/- 0.3 (0.12 +/- 0.03), 0.20 +/- 0.1 (0.02 +/- 0.01), and 0.82 +/- 0.2 (0.08 +/- 0.02) pg LEU/min (pg LEU/mg protein/min), respectively. Results emphasize the selective nature of chemical structures required to significantly inhibit AP activity and provided information that could help the rational design of agents with high specificity in a biologic milieu containing multiple peptidases. In this case, targeted modulation of the bioavailability of LEU and other endogenous AP-degraded hormonal and nonhormonal peptides could be useful in the treatment of the pathophysiology associated with various disease conditions. Whether their development could find useful pharmacological applications remains to be explored.

Aminopeptidases↗