Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Benign cortical and medullary tumours, adrenocortical cancers (ACC), bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, adrenomyelolipomas and metastases are commonly discussed in the differential diagnosis of a tumour in the adrenal bed. This study reports a series of non-adrenal tumours encountered during surgery for expected adrenal tumours.Method: Retrospective review of surgical practice in a tertiary referral centre.Results: Between ...

Aims: Given that the vast majority of surgeons who undertake adrenal surgery in UK have a median workload of 1 case/year there is increasing awareness that the care of such patients should be centralised. This case series illustrates the benefits of multidisciplinary input from surgeons with various expertise involved in the care of complex adrenal cases.Methods: Retrospective review of cases in which endocrine, hepatobiliary and cardiac surgeons collabo...

Historically, bilateral subtotal adrenalectomy was first attempted in patients with failed pituitary surgery for Cushing syndrome. Currently the operation is discussed predominantly in the context of familial phaeochromocytomas in an attempt to preserve sufficient cortical function and avoid life-long steroid dependence. The patients have to be informed of the significance of their particular genetic mutation, the impact of the size of tumours on the intraoperative feasibility...

Background: Anecdotal evidence suggests that access to surgical care for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) varies significantly across the UK.Method: A web-based survey was emailed to all members of Parathyroid UK patients’ group.Results: Replies were received from 119 patients (108F: 11M, median age 57) who have had a diagnosis of PHPT for a median for 5 years (3 months–10 years). Majority were diagnosed by the...

Background: The national audit from the British Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the Scandinavian Quality Register of Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery have reported that 7–17% of patients have hypocalcaemia in the first 6 weeks after thyroid surgery. This study is a snap-shot of management of peri-operative hypocalcaemia using routine Calcichew supplements.Methods: Retrospective review clinical and biochemical data on consecutive p...

Introduction: Immunologic background often present different association of two or more autoimmune diseases. However the coexistence of Basedow disease (BD) – the prototype of these disorders - with pernicious anemia (PA), sometimes as a component of pancytopenia, is rarely described. Between 50 patients operated on immunologic hyperthyroidism in a 20 years period only one case related this uncommon combination.Case report: AB, a 46-year-old woman w...

Background: The quoted risk of morbidity after thyroidectomy is based on published data from large series but patients’ perception remains insufficiently explored.Methods: A standardized questionnaire was mailed to 312 patients who underwent thyroid surgery in a large university hospital between Jan2008–Dec2010.Results: Replies were received from 202(64%) patients (56M:166F, age 55±16 yrs) at median 23 months after l...

Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) metastasizes to central compartment lymph nodes (CCLN) in majority of patients. Such metastases are associated with high risk of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis. Only one study has investigated the relation between the number of metastatic CCLN and prognosis (Soon Lee et al. 2010 WJS). This study evaluated the clinical implication of the number of metastatic CCLN in PTC.Methods: Between Jan...

Background: Length-of-stay (LOS) after various surgical procedures varies greatly between centres and countries. In the US there is increasing tendency towards day-case thyroid and parathyroid surgery but their model of care cannot be easily extrapolated. In the UK the average LOS for such operations is 3–4 days.Methods: Retrospective review of data retrieved from hospital-based software regarding the surgical activity during a decade in a large Uni...

Background: The aim of this report is to describe a fortuitely discovered association between parathyromatosis and occult sclerosing papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.Case description: A 56-year-old woman presented with pyelic relapsed stone, bone pains and iPTH=348 ng but normal calcemia as manifestations of recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism after a right inferior parathyroid adenoma resection done elsewere 6 years ago Sonography showed a 5 mm hypo...