Endocrine Abstracts

The majority of thyroid nodules do not need treatment after the exclusion of malignancy or abnormal thyroid function due to the usually slow growth rate of benign thyroid lesions. Clinical and US follow-up should be performed every 1–2 years. A repeated US-FNA is appropriate only in case of relevant nodule growth or suspicious US changes. A minority of benign nodules present a progressive growth that causes local pressure symptoms or patient’s concern. To avoid unnec...

Background: Liver fibrosis is the result of the chronic hepatocyte damage due to different causes. Among them, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is estimated to account for nearly 30% of cases, representing a leading cause of chronic liver disease. NAFLD can evolve into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, with or without fibrosis, whose diagnosis requires a liver biopsy, a costly and invasive procedure. Non-invasive tests have recently been proposed to screen patients at ri...

Background: Liver metastases occur in about 40–85% of patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NET). NET usually run a rather indolent course but the 5-year survival is about 40% in patients with liver metastases versus 75–99% in subjects free of hepatic lesions. The most effective management and timing of treatment for patients with surgically unresectable metastases remains still unsettled.Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinic...

Background: Thermal ablation techniques are reported to significantly decrease thyroid nodule volume in several single-center short-term series. The present trial on ultrasound (US)-guided laser ablation (LAT) of solid thyroid nodules is addressed to assess long-term clinical efficacy, side-effects and variability of outcomes in different centers operating with the same LAT procedure.Patients: Two hundred and one consecutive patients were randomly assign...