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Purpose: Thyroid nodules classified as indeterminate in previous fine-needle aspiration cytology often necessitate additional evaluation to determine their histology, while shear wave elastography (SWE) offers an alternative option in this regard. The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic effectiveness of SWE in evaluating indeterminate nodules. Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched from 1st January 1970 to 1st March 2023. The studies were reviewed and the data was extracted by two separate reviewers. A Bayesian bivariate model was utilized to quantitatively synthesize the diagnostic accuracy and yield of the studies in R. Results: A total of seven studies, involving indeterminate thyroid nodules undergoing SWE were included, and the overall malignancy rate was 34.1% (307/900). The summarized estimates of sensitivity and specificity were 0.792 (95% credible interval [CI], 0.727–0.850) and 0.845 (95% CI, 0.797–0.887), respectively. The summarized estimate for the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 17.8 (95% CI, 14.0–22.6). Summarized receiver operating characteristic (SROC) plots indicated a trade-off between sensitivity and specificity, and the estimate of AUC was 0.866 (95% CI, 0.834–0.895). The summary estimates for positive and negative likelihood ratios were 4.67 (95% CI, 3.98–5.85) and 0.26 (95% CI, 0.23–0.28), respectively. Conclusions: The overall accuracy of SWE remains satisfactory in indeterminate thyroid nodules. However, it should be noted that the available data are still extremely limited, and more studies or guidelines are required to provide further insights.

Background: To investigate how number of autotransplanted parathyroid glands (PGs) affects the incidence of postoperative hypoparathyroidism and the recovery of parathyroid function. Methods: A systematic search was performed in the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. The evaluated indices included the incidence of postoperative transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels during follow-up. Results: Twenty articles with 7291 patients were included. A higher incidence of transient hypoparathyroidism was found in the PG autotransplantation group than in the preservation group (odds ratio [OR]: 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.90, 2.96). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding permanent hypoparathyroidism (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.91). Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in the PG autotransplantation group changed significantly more than the preservation group at postoperative 1-day and 1-month, but became similar at the 6-month, 1-year and 2-year follow-up. Autotransplantation of 2 and 3 PGs demonstrated a higher incidence of transient hypoparathyroidism than 1 PG (OR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.41, 3.11 and OR: 9.70; 95% CI: 2.11, 44.39, respectively), but no significant difference was observed between the autotransplantation of 3 and 2 PGs (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.03, 29.06). Additionally, the incidence of permanent hypoparathyroidism was not significantly different when different number of PGs was autotransplanted. Conclusions: PG autotransplantation is an effective mid- and long-term strategy for the preservation of parathyroid function. Although transient hypoparathyroidism was positively correlated with the number of autotransplanted PGs, no remarkable correlation was observed for permanent hypoparathyroidism.

Cancer is still considered a “hopeless case”, which seriously endangers human health. Therefore, it is of great significance to research and develop novel anticancer drugs. Active natural products play an important role in anticancer drug discovery by providing lead compounds. Halofuginone (HF), as a derivative of febrifugine, an alkaloid originally isolated from the plant Dichroa febrifuga, is used for the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis and malaria in poultry. In recent years, HF has shown excellent anticancer activity and great clinical potential for treating various cancers. Despite enormous progress, a thorough elaboration of the proposed mechanism and mode of action is absent. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the most recent anticancer studies reported for HF and a rationale for further exploring the potential application of HF in overcoming cancer in the future.