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Despite advances in thyroid cancer staging systems, considerable controversy about the current staging system for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) continues.

A consensus lexicon for describing thyroid nodules at US will anchor the development of an international risk stratification system, encourage consistent worldwide reporting, and facilitate international efficacy studies.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is a growth factor affecting initiation or progression of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), which supports TSH suppressive therapy in patients with PTC. In patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) during active surveillance, however, the association between serum TSH level and growth of PTMC has not been demonstrated.

Currently, no recurrence or mortality risk systems consider molecular testing when predicting thyroid cancer outcomes.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an accumulation of fat in the liver despite a low level of alcohol intake, with signs of hepatomegaly. Although in the past, NAFLD was predominantly viewed as an aspect of metabolic syndrome, it is now considered that it should be classified as an independent condition similar to obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Therefore, new treatment strategies, not based on correcting insulin resistance, are needed for NAFLD. This work analyzes methods of prevention, therapeutic approaches, and mechanisms involved in NAFLD, focusing on the use of flavonoids (epigallocatechin-3-gallate, resveratrol, anthocyanins, and isoflavones) with high antioxidant capacity. In addition, the mechanisms of cholesterol accumulation in the liver are identified as potential avenues for entirely new approaches to NAFLD treatment, contrasting the well-known relation between neutral fat and NAFLD.

Although poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma account for a substantial portion of the morbidity and mortality associated with thyroid cancer, a chance of a cure exists with aggressive treatment, especially in patients with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma. The goal of this study was to evaluate the sonographic characteristics of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma and to compare the sonographic findings of poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. The study included 29 patients with 30 poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas and 26 patients with 26 anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed sonographic findings. Clinical and sonographic findings were compared between poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas by univariate and multivariate analyses. In the group of patients with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma, the mean age was 53.7 years (range, 14–73 years), and the mean tumor size was 3.6 cm (range, 0.6–10.0 cm). The common sonographic findings of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma were heterogeneous echogenicity (93.3%), solitary nodules (80.0%), a circumscribed margin (63.3%), an oval‐to‐round shape (63.3%), and hypoechogenicity (60.0%). A circumscribed margin (P= .003) and an oval‐to‐round shape (P= .015) were significantly more frequent in poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma than in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. In the multivariate analysis, only the circumscribed margin on sonography was an independent predicting factor for poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (odds ratio, 4.642). Both poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma commonly present as a relatively large malignant mass on sonography; however, poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma showed a significantly higher incidence of a circumscribed margin and an oval‐to‐round shape than anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Knowledge of sonographic characteristics will be useful for differentiation of poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas.

AbstractObjective:To investigate the role of the apolipoprotein(a) [Apo(a)]gene in predicting essential hypertension in the Korean population, we undertook a case-control study using the TTTTA repeat and the Met/Thr polymorphisms of the Apo(a)gene. Methods:The study subjects consisted of 74 essential hypertensives and 211 normotensive individuals. For polymorphism analysis, DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the case of the Met/Thr polymorphism, amplified PCR products were digested with the restriction enzyme KspI. Genotyping was performed by a 10% nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel. Results:There were no significant differences in the allele and genotype frequencies of these polymorphisms between normotensive and essential hypertensive subjects (p > 0.05). Furthermore, levels of lipoprotein(a) in the plasma were not significantly associated with the different genotypes of the Apo(a)gene in either group (p > 0.05). Conclusion:The polymorphisms of these two loci on the Apo(a)gene are unlikely to contribute to the etiology of essential hypertension in the Korean population.Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

Hypertension is a complex disease with strong genetic influences. Essential hypertension has been shown to be associated with insulin resistance. To clarify the genetic basis of insulin resistance in hypertension, case‐control association studies were performed to examine candidate genes for insulin resistance in hypertension. Polymorphisms investigated were the BstOI polymorphism of the (β3‐adrenergic receptor (ADRB3)gene, the XbaI polymorphism of the glycogen synthase (GS Y)gene, the DdeI polymorphism of the protein phosphatase 1 G subuit (PP1G)gene, the BstEII polymorphism of the glucagon receptor (GCG‐R)gene, the PstI polymorphism of the insulin (INS)gene and the AccI polymorphism of the glucokinase (GCK)gene. No significant differences were observed in the distribution of alleles and genotypes of the ADRB3, GS Y, PP1G, GCG‐R, INS, and GCKgenes between hypertensive and normotensive groups. Although the frequencies in each of these polymorphisms were not significantly different between essential hypertensive and normotensive individuals, our results may provide additional information for linkage analysis and associative studies of disorders in carbohydrate metabolism or in cardiovascular disease.

Management of suspicious microcalcifications in very thin breasts is problematic.