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Biomedical subjects

E Reschini

Publications and source records attributed to E Reschini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Treatment of autonomous thyroid nodules with percutaneous ethanol injection: 4-year experience.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of treatment of autonomous thyroid nodules with percutaneous ethanol injection under ultrasound guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Treatment was performed in 101 patients. The mean ratio of injected ethanol volume to nodule volume was approximately 1.5; ethanol was usually administered in four to eight sessions. RESULTS: Complete cure was achieved in 59 patients. Partial cure was achieved in 34 patients. Eight patients had remission of thyrotoxicosis but persistence of thyroid-stimulating hormone level suppression and radionuclide uptake only in the nodule. The extent of the response was inversely proportional to the nodule volume. Marked nodule shrinkage was observed in all groups. No recurrences were observed. Transient vocal cord paresis occurred in four patients, with full recovery in all cases. CONCLUSION: This method compares favorably with both surgery and radioiodine treatment, especially when the very low prevalence of posttreatment hypothyroidism is considered.

Adolescent

[Percutaneous ethanol injections in the treatment of autonomous thyroid nodules. 4 years' experience].

We treated with PEI 81 patients carriers of autonomous thyroid nodule, 65 toxic and 16 non toxic, all with undetectable serum TSH and suppressed extranodular tissue on scintigraphy. The treatment schedule was: 1-2 sessions per week, 1-8 ml per session, 3-13 sessions in total, In relation to the size and the therapeutic response. The signs of hyperthyroidism disappeared in all cases. Complete cure was obtained in 51 patients; hormonal remission was obtained in 24 patients; partial compensation was obtained in six patients. No recurrences were observed, but two dysphonias lasting three months were reported. PEI seems to be an alternative to surgery and 131I for the ablation of toxic nodules with a volume less than 30 ml.

Ethanol

Comparison of pertechnetate and radioiodine thyroid scintiscans in thyroid disease.

In a retrospective study, thyroid scintiscan with technetium-99m-pertechnetate at 30 minutes was compared with the iodine-131 scan at 24 hours in 273 patients with various thyroid diseases. The pertechnetate scan showed normal or diffusely enlarged thyroid glands in 64 patients, cold nodules in 36, and hot or warm nodules in 173. The radioiodine and pertechnetate scintiscans were concordant in all patients without nodules and in those with cold nodules. Minor discrepancies were observed in 24 patients with hot or warm nodules. Only 2 patients, both euthyroid, showed major discrepancies in which nodules appeared hot with pertechnetate and cold with radioiodine. Sequential scintiscans with radioiodine performed in both of these patients, and a perchlorate test performed in one, demonstrated organification defects in the nodules. The data indicate that there is a high correlation between the results of scintiscans using the two tracers; discrepancies in results with the two imaging techniques were rare.

Adult

Percutaneous intranodular ethanol injection: a new treatment for autonomous thyroid adenoma.

Established methods for definitive ablation of autonomous thyroid nodules are surgery and radioiodine. Since it has been demonstrated that percutaneous ethanol injection can inactivate parathyroid adenomas and small hepatocellular carcinomas, we started a trial of this treatment in patients with autonomous thyroid nodules. Twenty-eight patients, 22 toxic and 6 nontoxic, all with undetectable thyrotropin serum levels and suppressed extranodular tissue on scintigraphy, were treated. Treatment consisted of percutaneous intranodular ethanol injection under ultrasound guidance. The total amount of alcohol injected ranged from 0.4 to 2.2 times the estimated nodule volume, divided into 4 to 9 injections performed at 2 to 7 day intervals. Most patients were treated with a single cycle of injections, but 7 of them required 2 cycles. The signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism disappeared in all cases. Apparently complete cure (normal serum free thyroid hormones, thyrotropin in basal conditions and after thyrotropin releasing hormone, reactivation of extranodular tissue on scintigraphy with nodule no longer visible) was obtained in 17 patients (13 after 1 cycle and 4 after 2 cycles). Partial cure (normal serum free thyroid hormone levels, detectable thyrotropin levels with normal or blunted response to thyrotropin releasing hormone and partial reactivation of extranodular tissue on scintigraphy with nodule or parts of it still visible) was obtained in 10 patients (8 after 1 cycle and 2 after 2 cycles). In 1 patient with a very large nodule thyrotropin levels remained undetectable, but thyroid hormone levels eventually became normal. No recurrences were observed after a follow-up of 12 to 32 months (mean 20 months). No serious side effects were encountered. A clinically valuable result was obtained in all patients. These data suggest that this form of treatment could constitute an alternative to surgery and radioiodine for the ablation of autonomous thyroid nodules.

Adenoma

Scintigraphic study of extra-adrenal ganglioneuroma in a patient with overlap between multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 and 2.

A 27-year-old woman was diagnosed with a pituitary prolactinoma. Seven years later, when she was 34, an abdominal mass was incidentally discovered and ascribed to the right adrenal gland on the basis of evidence from ultrasonography, computed tomography, and arteriography. Adrenal scintigraphy with Se-75 selenomethylcholesterol imaged both adrenal glands, but the right gland was distorted, suggesting external compression. I-131 MIBG was not taken up by the mass. At surgery, an extra-adrenal ganglioneuroma was found and excised. This case represents an overlap between multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 and 2. The failure of the ganglioneuroma to concentrate MIBG was likely caused by secretory inactivity of a biologically mature tumor.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine

Clinical experience with the adrenal scanning agents iodine 131-19-iodocholesterol and selenium 75-6-selenomethylcholesterol.

Adrenocortical scintigraphy with iodine 131-19-iodocholesterol or selenium 75-6-selenomethylcholesterol was performed in 94 patients with proven or suspected adrenal disease. According to the final diagnosis, 36 patients suffered from primary aldosteronism, 33 from Cushing's syndrome, 8 from low renin hypertension, 6 from nonfunctioning adrenal tumour, 4 from simple obesity, 3 from adrenal metastases, 1 from congenital adrenal hyperplasia, 1 from virilizing adrenal adenoma, 1 from extraadrenal phaeochromocytoma, 1 from ganglioneuroma. Surgical confirmation of the diagnosis was obtained in most cases. With a few exceptions, the scintigraphy results were consistent with the final diagnosis. The two tracers were equally effective adrenal scanning agents. Tracer concentration was measured in a number of surgical specimens, mostly from patients given selenocholesterol. This measurement in surgical samples has not been reported in previous studies with this agent. The results provided a direct validation of uptake measurements in vivo. The data, collected over a 17-year period, demonstrate that despite the advent of new imaging techniques, adrenal scintigraphy that gives both functional and morphologic information still has an important role in the diagnosis of adrenal disease.

19-Iodocholesterol

A black adrenocortical adenoma causing Cushing's syndrome not imaged by radiocholesterol scintigraphy.

In a 33-year-old female patient with left adrenal tumour and Cushing's syndrome, adrenocortical scintigraphy with radiocholesterol did not image the tumour nor the suppressed contralateral gland. Histology showed a black adrenocortical adenoma composed only of compact cells; there was no evidence of malignancy. This demonstrates that non-visualization of the adrenal glands in a patient with Cushing's syndrome is not invariably due to adrenal carcinoma. The literature on black adrenal adenomas causing Cushing's syndrome is reviewed.

Adenoma

Asymptomatic parathyroid adenoma manifested by intratumoral hemorrhage.

A 48-year-old woman whose past history was unrevealing presented with sudden swelling of the neck with pain and dysphonia. Neck ultrasonography suggested the possibility of hemorrhage in a parathyroid adenoma. Surgical exploration revealed a hemorrhagic parathyroid adenoma of the chief cell type. This event is exceedingly rare, but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of suddenly appearing masses of the neck region.

Adenoma

Growth hormone and ACTH secretory dynamics in Turner's syndrome.

The secretory dynamics of GH and ACTH were studied in 14 patients with Turner's syndrome. The parameters investigated were plasma GH and cortisol responses to hypoglycemia, plasma cortisol circadian rhythm and suppressibility by dexamethasone, and response of urinary Porter-Silber chromogens to metyrapone. The results were mostly normal. These data do not support the hypothesis suggesting an abnormality of hypothalamic-pituitary function in Turner's syndrome.

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids

Male pseudohermaphroditism due to 17-hydroxylase deficiency.

A 27-year-old phenotypic female presented with primary amenorrhea, severe hypertension, and hypokalemia. At the age of puberty sexual development had not occurred; in particular, sexual hair had not grown. Past history revealed an episode of subarachnoid hemorrhage and several episodes of ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Karyotype was 46, XY. The steroids requiring 17-hydroxylation (cortisol, testosterone, pregnanetriol, 17-ketosteroids, 17-hydroxycorticosteroids) were low, while those not requiring 17-hydroxylation (progesterone, deoxycorticosterone, corticosterone) were high, demonstrating 17-hydroxylase deficiency. The corticosterone/deoxycorticosterone ratio was relatively low, suggesting an associated partial deficiency of 11-hydroxylase.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital

Cushing's syndrome due to unilateral adrenal nodular hyperplasia with incomplete inhibition of the contralateral gland.

A 57-year-old woman was demonstrated to be affected by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-independent Cushing's syndrome. Computed-axial tomography of the abdomen demonstrated an expansion of the left adrenal. In apparent contrast with these findings, adrenal scintigraphy demonstrated radiocholesterol uptake also by the right gland. At surgery, the left adrenal was found to be hard and enlarged and was excised, while the right gland was found of normal appearance and left in place. Histologic examination of the excised gland demonstrated nodular hyperplasia. Early after surgery, plasma cortisol returned to normal values with a normal circadian rhythm and complete inhibition by low dose dexamethasone; the response of plasma cortisol to ACTH was normal. The patient represents a rare case of unilateral adrenal nodular hyperplasia. Radiocholesterol uptake by the contralateral gland and early recovery from adrenal atrophy after surgery are exceptional findings and suggest incomplete inhibition of endogenous ACTH.

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids