Thyroid abscess as a complication of percutaneous ethanol ablation of cystic thyroid nodules

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Cancer rate of Bethesda category II thyroid nodules

Aim Thyroid nodules are very common and may be found in more than 50% of the population. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thyroid nodules is a very useful diagnostic tool with high sensitivity and predictive value for diagnosis. The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC) uses six categories for thyroid cytology reporting (I-nondiagnostic, IIbenign, III-atypia of undetermined significance (AUS)/ follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS), IV-follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (SFN), V-suspicious for malignancy, and VI-malignant. Our objective was to determine the malignancy rate in Bethesda II nodules. Methods From June 2010 to May 2020 a retrospective analysis was performed among 1166 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for benign thyroid diseases in our institution. Thyroid cytopathological slides and Ultrasound (US) reports were reviewed and classified according to the BSRTC. Data collected included age, gender, cytological features, and histological type of thyroid cancer. Results During the study period, 44.77% (522/1166) of patients with an FNA categorized as Bethesda II underwent thyroid surgery. Incidental malignancy was found in 1.53% (8/522) cases of Bethesda II. The most common malignant tumour type was papillary thyroid carcinoma. Conclusion The current study demonstrates that incidental thyroid carcinoma can be diagnosed after thyroidectomy even in patients with an FNA categorized as Bethesda II

Risk of surgical site infections after colorectal surgery and the most frequent pathogens isolated: a prospective single-centre observational study

Aim To identify risk factors for developing surgical site infections (SSIs) based on a prospective study of patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Methods Between November 2019 and January 2021, 133 patients underwent elective operation for colorectal cancer in our institution. The following variables were recorded for each patient: age, gender, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists Classification (ASA class), duration of surgery, wound classification, skin preparation regimens, surgical approach, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, chronic steroid use), and pathogens responsible for surgical site infection. Univariate analysis was performed using χ2 tests for categorical variables. Results A total of 65 males and 68 females were enrolled. Postoperative SSI was diagnosed in 29 (21.8%) cases. Fifty five patients were >70 years old, and SSIs were significantly more frequent in this group (p=0.033). There were 92 patients with BMI <30kg/m2 and 87 with ASA class ≤2; SSIs occurred significantly less frequently in these patients (p=0.021 and p=0.028, respectively). Open surgery was performed in 113 patients; 35 (out of 113; 31%) wound infections were classified as contaminated or dirty, and SSI occurred more often in these two groups (p=0.048 and p=0.037, respectively). Nineteen patients had diabetes and 36 used steroids continuously; SSI was significantly more frequent in these patients (p=0.021 and p=0.049, respectively). Conclusion Following colorectal cancer procedures SSIs were significantly more common among patients over 70 years old, BMI≥30kg/m2 , ASA score>2, with diabetes and chronic steroid use, undergoing open, dirty or contaminated surgery. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. were the two most common pathogens isolated

The role of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in patients with cancer: a review of the current literature

Aim Several biomarkers are currently used as diagnostic and prognostic tools in patients with cancer. Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is elevated in acute and chronic inflammatory procedures and several observational studies during the last 20 years have investigated its role in oncology. The purpose of this article was to review the current literature regarding suPAR’s role in clinical practice. Methods A systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, OpenGrey and Cochrane Library databases through September 2021 was conducted using the following search terms: “supar”or “soluble urokinase plasminogen receptor” and “cancer” or “malignancy”. Original articles reporting on suPAR’s role in the diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of therapeutic outcomes in patients with confirmed or suspected cancer were included. Results Among 45 found articles, the most were observational cohort studies. The included studies were further categorized by cancer site. SuPAR level was higher in patients with cancer compared to healthy controls, but its diagnostic and prognostic accuracy differs depending on the site of cancer. Conclusion SuPAR has promising aspects in the field of oncology and public health and future research should further investigate its use in clinical practice. As it is elevated in different types of cancer, it could potentially serve as an adjunctive tool for the mass screening of patients with non-specific signs of cancer, but larger cohort studies that support these findings must be conducted

Rectal foreign bodies: The role of gender

Introduction: Rectal foreign bodies are being encountered more frequently in clinical practice nowadays. Materials and Methods: Between 2015 and 2019, five patients with a foreign object in the rectum were diagnosed and treated at General University Hospital of Patras. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of these patients. Results: All patients were males and their mean age was 50 years (range: 25-64). In all patients, foreign bodies were removed transanally under general anesthesia. There was no complication and all patients were discharged home 24 hours after the removal of a foreign object. Conclusion: Incidents with rectal foreign bodies are very common nowadays. Cases with males are more frequent and according to literature, the proportion between male and female patients is very high

Small bowel obstruction in a 42-year-old patient? Be aware of Meckel’s diverticulum

Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, and according to several studies its prevalence is about 0.6–4% [1]. The exact location of MD is mentioned in the literature and in textbooks, and its characteristics usually follow the rule of twos: 2% of the general population, 2 feet proximal to the ileocecal valve, 2 inches in length, and 2 : 1 male: female ratio [2]

Comparison of postoperative complications using Harmonic scalpel and LigaSure in thyroid surgery

Background: Thyroid surgery is the most common operation in the field of endocrine surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the use of LigaSure vessel (LS) and Harmonic scalpel (HS) in 1599 total thyroid surgeries between January 2008 and December of 2022, with regards of analysis of surgical complications, duration of hospital stay and operative surgical time. Methods: In this retrospective study patients have been categorized into two groups: Group A included 718 patients from January 2008 to May 2013 when LigaSure vessel was used, and the Group B included 881 patients from June 2013 to December 2022 when Harmonic scalpel was used. A summary of the total number of postoperative complications cases, surgical time and the duration of hospital stay between the two groups is presented. Results: There was no significant difference in the sex, age, and mean operating time between the two groups (P>0.05). Either major bleeding or wound infection occurred in 4 (0.6%) or 14 (1.9%) of the patients undergoing thyroidectomy when LS was used compared to 4 (0.5%) or 15 (1.7%) of the patients undergoing thyroid surgery when HS was used (P> 0.05 and P> 0.05, respectively). In addition, either hypoparathyroidism or temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was observed in 91 (12.7%) or 39 (5.4%) of the Group A patients compared with 98 (11.1%) or 44 (5%) of the Group B patients (P> 0.05 and P> 0.05, respectively). Conclusion:  The current study demonstrates that thyroidectomy can be safely performed with both devices without increasing the risk of complications