Publications by authors named "Eric Kuo"

Background: Near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) spectroscopy is an emerging adjunct for intraoperative parathyroid identification. However, its ability to differentiate between normocellular, hyperplastic, or adenomatous parathyroids remains unexplored. We hypothesize that parathyroid adenomas have lower NIRAF ratios than normocellular parathyroids since the likely fluorophore is the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), which is downregulated in adenomas.

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Primary aldosteronism (PA) is rarely seen in pregnancy despite being a common cause of secondary hypertension. Spironolactone, the first-line treatment, is contraindicated in pregnancy due to potential anti-androgenic effects; treatment options are thus limited. We present a case in which severe hypokalaemia associated with PA was discovered during pregnancy.

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Castleman disease is a rare, heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders whose imaging characteristics can resemble malignancy. We present a case of a patient who initially presented with intermittent hypertension, palpitations, and chest pain. Despite a negative biochemical workup, CT imaging revealed a left retroperitoneal mass intimately associated with the left adrenal gland with 68Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) detecting uptake in the mass as well as several left para-aortic lymph nodes and bone lesions.

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Objective: The field of endocrine surgery has been expanding its minimally invasive techniques to treat a wide range of thyroid pathologies. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one targeted thermal therapy that has been identified as safe and effective for the treatment of benign pathologies as an alternative to surgery. We have employed RFA at our institution and are reporting our experience with this techniques safety, efficacy, and considerations in the treatment of toxic adenomas and multinodular goiters.

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Article Synopsis
  • Radiofrequency ablation is an effective, minimally invasive treatment for benign thyroid nodules, leading to improved quality of life based on studies from Europe and Asia.
  • A study conducted in the U.S. involved 56 patients over four years, measuring thyroid-related quality of life and nodule characteristics before and after the procedure using specific scoring methods.
  • Results showed significant reductions in nodule size and improvements in symptoms related to goiter, anxiety, and appearance, with overall quality of life significantly enhanced at the last follow-up.
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Background: The efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treating thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology remains less studied. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of RFA in treating nodules with Bethesda III that have been molecularly profiled benign (BIII-MPN).

Methods: We included prospectively enrolled patients who underwent RFA for benign and BIII-MPN thyroid nodules.

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Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) effectively reduces volume and improves symptoms of benign, non-functioning thyroid nodules (NFTNs). Given RFA's unclear impact on thyroid function, we examined post-RFA trends in thyroid hormones and antibodies.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted of patients treated at Columbia University with RFA for benign NFTNs between August 2019 and July 2023.

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Molecular testing (MT) has become standard practice to more accurately rule out malignancy in indeterminate Bethesda III (BIII) thyroid lesions. We sought to assess the adoption of this technology and its impact on cytology reporting, malignancy yield, and rates of surgery across community and academic sites affiliated with a tertiary medical center. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study including all fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) analyzed at our institution from 2017 to 2021.

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Over the last decade, the utilization of molecular testing (MT) for the evaluation of thyroid nodules has increased. Rates and patterns of adoption of MT and its effect on thyroidectomy rates nationally are unknown. Varying rates of MT adoption at the state level provide an opportunity to study the effects of MT on thyroidectomy rates using a quasiexperimental study design.

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Background: The American Thyroid Association updated guidelines in 2015 to allow lobectomy for low-risk thyroid cancers. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine thyroid hormone supplementation rates after lobectomy and (2) to evaluate the effect of the American Thyroid Association guideline change on lobectomy and hormone supplementation rates among thyroid cancer patients.

Methods: The Merative MarketScan Databases was used to identify adult (≥age 18) patients who underwent thyroidectomy for benign nodules or thyroid cancer.

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Background: Whereas racial disparities in thyroid cancer care are well established, the role of social determinants of health is less clear. We aimed to assess the individual and cumulative impact of social determinants of health on mortality and time to treatment among patients with thyroid cancer.

Methods: We collected social determinants of health data from thyroid cancer patients registered in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2017.

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Over the past decade, our understanding of AML pathogenesis and pathophysiology has improved significantly with mutational profiling. This has led to translational advances in therapeutic options, as there have been 10 new US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals for AML therapies since 2017, half of which target specific driver mutations in , , or . These new agents have expanded the therapeutic armamentarium for AML, particularly for patients who are considered ineligible for intensive chemotherapy with anthracycline- and cytarabine-containing regimens.

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Background: Radiofrequency ablation is an emerging technology in the United States to treat benign thyroid nodules. The cost-effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation in comparison with traditional thyroidectomy is unknown.

Methods: A patient-level state transition microsimulation decision model was constructed comparing radiofrequency ablation with lobectomy in the management of benign thyroid nodules.

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Background: Phenoxybenzamine has been the standard agent for blockade before adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma. However, high cost and limited availability have hampered its use. This study investigated whether other agents have supplanted the use of phenoxybenzamine as the first-line agent for alpha blockade in pheochromocytoma.

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Objective: Phenoxybenzamine (nonselective, noncompetitive alpha-blocker) is the preferred drug for preoperative treatment of pheochromocytoma, but doxazosin (selective, competitive alpha-blocker) may be equally effective. We compared the efficacy of doxazosin vs phenoxybenzamine.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of patients undergoing pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma resection by randomizing pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine or doxazosin at a single tertiary referral center.

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Monitoring of measurable residual disease (MRD) is essential to the management of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and is typically performed through repeated bone marrow (BM) assessments. Using a next-generation sequencing (NGS) MRD platform, we performed a prospective observational study evaluating the correlation between peripheral blood (PB) and BM MRD in adults with ALL receiving cellular therapies (hematopoietic cell transplantation [HCT] and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell [CAR-T] therapies). Among the study cohort (N = 69 patients; 126 paired PB/BM samples), we found strong correlation between PB and BM MRD (r = 0.

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One standard pedagogical approach in physical science courses engages students in making predictions about physical phenomena that elicit non-normative expectations, then make observations intended to provide counterevidence that sparks conceptual change. This article presents five experiments investigating conditions where observation and recall are impacted by incorrect expectations and how these theory-laden observational errors might be mitigated. Using the context of balancing, Experiments 1-3 examine how the ambiguity of the stimuli may allow observers to selectively attend to information that is consistent with prior beliefs, while discounting incongruent information.

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Importance: Approximately 20% of thyroid nodules display indeterminate cytology. Molecular testing can refine the risk of malignancy and reduce the need for diagnostic hemithyroidectomy.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance between an RNA test (Afirma genomic sequencing classifier) and DNA-RNA test (ThyroSeq v3 multigene genomic classifier).

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Background: The availability of novel agents (NAs), including blinatumomab and inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO), has improved the outcomes of patients with relapsed/refractory (RR) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Because of the relative effectiveness, it is often a challenge for clinicians to determine how to best sequence these NAs with respect to efficacy and toxicity.

Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective study of patients with RR ALL treated with blinatumomab, InO, or both, their efficacy as a first or second NA was compared.

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Background: Inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO) is an anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody-drug (calicheamicin) conjugate that has shown superior efficacy compared to conventional chemotherapy in relapsed/refractory (RR) B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) patients. We sought to find the safety and efficacy of InO in a real-world setting.

Patients And Methods: A multicenter cohort analysis on 84 RR ALL patients who received InO outside of clinical trials was conducted to evaluate response and toxicity.

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Mortality after gunshot wounds to the thoracic aorta ranges from 92% to 100%. Survival is almost always in patients with injury from low-caliber, low-velocity bullets with hemorrhage contained by the wall of the aorta. Bullet embolization, even rarer with a reported incidence of 0.

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Objective: Treatment of type B aortic dissections with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has been adopted in many centers with the goal of covering the proximal entry tear. Coverage of the left subclavian artery (LSCA) is commonly required to achieve a dissection-free proximal seal zone. A novel thoracic single side-branched (TSSB) endograft device offers a potential off-the-shelf option to achieve total endovascular incorporation of LSCA during zone 2 TEVAR.

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