Assessing the quality of the evidence underlying recommendations in type 2 diabetes' commonly used clinical practice guidelines.

Aim: In a world of data overload, clinical practice recommendations are needed to help practitioners and patients to take evidence-based decisions. However, in the field of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) recommendations on glycemic goals and treatment choice are controversial in spite of being supported by a common body of evidence. We hypothesize that internal and external validity of this body of evidence might not be as sound as expected.

Retroperitoneal paragangliomas in obese patients.

Obesity, the most significant metabolic problem in the world today, is associated with a wide range of diseases, including endocrine disorders. Paraganglioma is a rare chromaffin cell tumor that develops from the neural crest cells of the neuroendocrine system. Retroperitoneal paragangliomas can represent a surgical challenge due to their close relation to large vessels.

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for a large pheochromocytoma in a morbidly obese patient.

The high prevalence of obesity is associated with diverse health problems, including endocrine disorders. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become the preferred approach for removal of the adrenal gland, but several authors still debate the role of laparoscopic adrenalectomy in pheochromocytoma. We describe a case of a morbidly obese man (weight, 142 kg; body mass index, 40.