Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma, Misdiagnosed as Subacute Thyroiditis and Role of Calcitonin Measurement

The thyroid nodules are found often in the clinical practice in adults. The clinical importance of thyroid nodules is to exclude thyroid cancer, which occurs in 7-15 % of cases with thyroid nodules depending on age, sex, radiation exposure history, family history, and other factors. We present a clinical case, misdiagnosed as a subacute thyroiditis, in which the lack of clinical doubt for suspecting the thyroid cancer, despite the negative result of fine needle aspiration biopsy of a thyroid nodule and not measuring the calcitonin level, did not allow the diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Based on this clinical case and also the review of the literature, we recommend the routine measurement of calcitonin in screening the thyroid nodules, for the early diagnosis of the medullary thyroid carcinoma. Despite the negative result for malignancy of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) of the nodule, if the nodule has some echographic signs, characteristic of malignancy, the thyroid surgery must be recommended.Keywords: Medullary thyroid carcinoma, calcitonin, fine needle aspiration biopsy.

Branched-chain amino acid database integrated in MEDIPAD software as a tool for nutritional investigation of mediterranean populations

Branched-chained amino acids (BCAA) are essential dietary components for humans and can act as potential biomarkers for diabetes development. To efficiently estimate dietary intake, we developed a BCAA database for 1331 food items found in the French Centre d'Information sur la Qualité des Aliments (CIQUAL) food table by compiling BCAA content from international tables, published measurements, or by food similarity as well as by calculating 267 items from Greek, Turkish, Romanian, and Moroccan mixed dishes. The database embedded in MEDIPAD software capable of registering 24 h of dietary recalls (24HDR) with clinical and genetic data was evaluated based on archived 24HDR of the Saint Pierre Institute (France) from 2957 subjects, which indicated a BCAA content up to 4.2 g/100 g of food and differences among normal weight and obese subjects across BCAA quartiles. We also evaluated the database of 119 interviews of Romanians, Turkish and Albanians in Greece (27⁻65 years) during the MEDIGENE program, which indicated mean BCAA intake of 13.84 and 12.91 g/day in males and females, respectively, comparable to other studies. The MEDIPAD is user-friendly, multilingual, and secure software and with the BCAA database is suitable for conducting nutritional assessment in the Mediterranean area with particular facilities for food administration

Body weight patterns in a country in transition: a population-based survey in Tirana City, Albania.

OBJECTIVE: This paper reports the distribution and determinants of body mass index (BMI) and obesity in Tirana City (Albania). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey conducted in mid-2001. SETTING: Tirana City. SUBJECTS: One thousand one hundred and twenty adults aged 25 years and over (response rate 72.7%), selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. RESULTS: Over three-quarters of male and female respondents had an excess body weight. The overall population prevalence of obesity in Tirana was estimated to be 22.0% in men and 30.9% in women. Obesity affected both genders (age-standardised prevalence in males 22.0%, females 30.9%; age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.89; 99% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-2.67) and all age groups, but most particularly middle-aged women. The age-standardised overall prevalence of central obesity was 21.6% in men and 29.4% in women (age-adjusted OR 1.58; 99% CI 1.11-2.25), increasing with age (P<0.01). In women, the likelihood of being obese was inversely related to educational achievement (trend P=0.001) and alcohol consumption (trend P=0.009). Income, smoking and leisure-time physical activity were not associated with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Excess weight and obesity are major public health problems in the adult population of Tirana, but most particularly in middle-aged women. The high obesity prevalence observed along with the recent decrease in physical activity, dietary changes and increase in smoking prevalence make it probable that there will be substantial increases in many non-communicable diseases in Albania in the coming decades. Health promotion strategies are needed that prevent excess weight gain in the Albanian population

Byllis (Albanie) : Le quartier épiscopal

International audienc

Le quartier épiscopal

Beaudry Nicolas, Bonifay Michel, Buttner Stéphane, Chevalier Pascale, Gagné Chantal, Kozelj Tony, Savard Manon, Wurch-Kozelj Manuela, Cerova Ylli, Islami Agron, Muçaj Skender. Le quartier épiscopal. In: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique. Volume 133, livraison 2, 2009. pp. 735-754

Le quartier épiscopal, la Basilique E et les carrières

Beaudry Nicolas, Berthon Amélie, Cantuel Jean, Chevalier Pascale, Kozelj Tony, Raynaud Marie-Patricia, Wurch-Kozelj Manuela, Cerova Ylli, Hobdari E., Islami Agron, Muçaj Skender. Le quartier épiscopal, la Basilique E et les carrières. In: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique. Volume 132, livraison 2, 2008. pp. 923-954

Byllis (Albanie) : Le quartier épiscopal, la Basilique E et les carrières

International audienc

Byllis (Albanie) : mission 2005

International audienc

Billys (Albanie)

Beaudry Nicolas, Blanc P., Cerova Ylli, Chevalier P., Haxhimihali M., Hobdari E., Islami Agron, Kozelj T., Muçaj Skender, Nallbani Etleva, Sodini J.-P., Tassignon Isabelle, Vanderheyde Catherine, Wurch-Kozelj Manuela. Billys (Albanie). In: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique. Volume 127, livraison 2, 2003. pp. 622-639

Byllis (Albanie)

International audienc