Another look at thyroid nodules.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E E Werk.
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A patient with isolated corticotropin deficiency demonstrated hyperresponsiveness of both thyrotropin and prolactin after protirelin stimulation. Following glucocorticoid replacement therapy, responses decreased to normal. Since true primary hypothyroidism may occur in association with cortisol-deficient states, it is necessary to reserve final evaluation until after glucocorticoid replacement. The finding of combined thyrotropin and prolactin hyperresponsiveness to protirelin suggests a related glucocorticoid feedback function.
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There is little available evidence of the efficiency of preoperative screening for cancer in solitary thyroid nodules in the community hospital setting, and limited composite data for comparison. A three-year survey was made in a 480 bed community hospital to determine the percentage cancer index (PCI) found in patients operated on for solitary thyroid nodules. Cancer was diagnosed in ten of 153 patients with a PCI of 6.5%. For comparison, an extensive literature review revealed a mean PCI ranging from 13.8% to 27.9%, depending on the preoperative selection process. Periodic surveys of PCI in solitary nodules in community hospitals would yield pertinent information in relation to the general "state of the art" and encourage attainment of a PCI as high as feasible.
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Hypertrichosis lanuginosa developed in a patient with carcinoma of the bladder. After regional lymph node metastases became evident, soft, fine, blond hair developed on his entire body, with the exception of the soles and the palms. Extensive endocrinologic evaluation demonstrated depressed testosterone levels and elevated levels of leutinizing hormone, changes not thought to be related to the hair growth. To our knowledge, this patient constitutes the second reported case of this rare syndrome in association with bladder carcinoma.
Renin activity and aldosterone were evaluated relative to potassium levels and lead intoxication in 33 patients with a history of "moonshine" ingestion. Patients were divided into three groups: I, lead intoxicated with hyperkalemia; II, lead intoxicated without hyperkalemia; and III, not lead intoxicated without hyperkalemia. Those in group I demonstrated suppressed plasma renin activity, baseline and after furosemide, and blunted aldosterone responsiveness to furosemide. Plasma renin activity was not different in groups II and III, whereas aldosterone responsiveness was less in group II than in III. Group I patients tended to be older, had lower creatinine clearances, and six of nine had mild hyperchloremic acidosis. Diabetes and cortisol insufficiency were not present. Chronic lead intoxication due to illicit alcohol ingestion is associated with hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism and hyperkalemia which appear to develop as the lead nephropathy progresses with duration and/or aging.
We compared methods of classifying hypertension according to plasma renin activity in 54 patients with essential hypertension and examined the validity of using these classifications to choose between two hypotensive drugs. A prospective, double-blind crossover study was used. Normal values for plasma renin activity were established from 111 control subjects. Plasma renin activity was related to race and inversely to age in hypertensive patients (P less than 0.05) but not in normal subjects. Three methods of classification correlated well but did not identify exactly the same renin-suppressed patients. Chlorthalidone produced a greater reduction in blood pressure and restored blood pressure to normal in a larger percentage of patients in both low-renin (59 per cent) and normal-renin (32 per cent) subgroups than propranolol (12 and 16 per cent). Renin determinations are of limited benefit in the choice of therapy for most patients with essential hypertension.
Alterations in the metabolism of testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES) or medroxprogesterone acetate (MPA) could account for the beneficial therapeutic effect of these agents in prostatic carcinoma. To investigate this possibility we sutdied plasma kinetics of T and DHT in 17 elderly patients with prostatic carcinoma, before and after treatment with DES (1 or 5 mg/d) or MPA (10 or 30 mg/d) for 30 days. Metabolic clearance rates (MCR) were determined with the single injection technique and by use of two compartment model, plasma concentrations (PC) of T and DHT by radioimmunoassay, the per cent of T bound to plasma protein (T-binding) by charcoal adsorption of the unbound steroid. Production rate (PR) and PC of T were lower, PR and PC of DHT were higher in our patients than in normal men. With both DES regimens, PR, PC and MCR of either androgen declined; however, T was suppressed to a much greater extent than DHT. In either instance, the decrease may have been caused by direct suppression of testicular androgen synthesis and/or by decreased gonadotropin stimulation. Enhanced T-binding played an additional role in reducing the free testosterone index. High and low dose of DES were equally effective. The low dose regimen of MPA did not influence androgen metabolism. MPA in the higher dose suppressed PR and PC of T and DHT, possibly due to effects on testicular synthesis or by gonadotropin suppression as suggested for DES. In contrast to DES, MPA failed to cause profound changes in MCR of either androgen or in T-binding. When judged by its influence on the metabolism of T and DHT in prostatic carcinoma, MPA in higher doses is much less effective than either dose regimen of DES.
Low plasma renin activity (PRA) has been reported in patients with long-term diabetes mellitus complicated by hypertension and nephropathy. We have assayed PRA in twelve normal subjects and in eight age- and sex-matched juvenile diabetics of greater than twelve years' duration without hypertension and nephropathy under control conditions and following stimulation with diazoxide. During control conditions PRA did not decrease with time in the diabetics as it did in the normals. Following diazoxide infusion, PRA increased in both groups, and although the levels were often higher in diabetics than in normals, the mean differences were not statistically significant. The findings are consistent with the suggestion that PRA is normal or possibly elevated in clinically uncomplicated insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and decreases with establishment of hypertension and nephropathy.
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