Jak2 mutation expands the thrombophilic panel in children.

Cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) is an important cause of vascular accidents in children. The diagnosis of the underlying disease allows appropriate and timely management of the risk factors and guide therapy, but the etiology remains unknown in 20% to 25% of the cases. We present the first case of a child presenting with CSVT caused by the Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) V617F mutation, occurring without the hematological abnormalities diagnostic for myeloproliferative neoplasms.

A SNARC-like effect for music notation: The role of expertise and musical instrument.

The Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) suggests the existence of an association between number magnitude and response location, with faster left key-press responses to small numbers and faster right key-press responses to large numbers. We investigated whether a similar association exists between musical notes on the stave and the space of response execution, involving amateur and expert musicians (Experiment 1). Moreover, in Experiment 2 we further investigated such association in two groups of expert musicians (piano and transverse flute players) who differ in the note mapping on their instruments.

Selenium supplementation in the management of thyroid autoimmunity during pregnancy: results of the "SERENA study", a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Purpose: Selenium is frequently in nutraceuticals for pregnancy, given its role on fertility and thyroid metabolism. However, most evidence rise from non-controlled studies. We aimed to evaluate the protective effect of selenium against thyroid autoimmunity during and after pregnancy.

[Encephalitis by type B influenza: a pediatric clinical case and literature review.].

We report the case of a 6-year-old girl who presented with encephalitis during type B influenza. The clinical picture was characterized by an alteration of the state of consciousness associated with focal neurological signs with electroencephalographic changes and brain MRI. Clinical improvement was rapid and without neurological outcomes.

Cardiovascular risk in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and subclinical hypothyroidism patients. A cluster analysis.

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (CAT) are linked to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to look for positive markers of CHD and correlations with thyroid blood tests in patients with SCH or CAT, but no symptoms of CHD, so as to identify CHD risk conditions that otherwise would likely be missed.

Methods: We measured a series of thyroid, clinical-metabolic and cardiovascular parameters in 30 consecutive endocrinology patients enrolled in our ambulatory endocrinological referral center of "Sapienza" University of Rome.

The Spatial Representation of Angles.

We investigated whether angle magnitude, similarly to numerical quantities (i.e., the spatial-numerical association of response codes effect), is associated to the side of response execution.

Trends of thyroid function and autoimmunity to 5 years after the introduction of mandatory iodization in Italy.

Background. Mandatory iodine fortification of salt was introduced in Italy in 2005. The purpose of our study is to estimate the trend of thyroid diseases in Italy before and after mandatory iodization in Italy.

Separate mechanisms for magnitude and order processing in the spatial-numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect: The strange case of musical note values.

The spatial-numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect is considered an evidence of the association between numbers and space, with faster left key-press responses to small numbers and faster right key-press responses to large numbers. We examined whether visually presented note values produce a SNARC-like effect. Differently from numbers, note values are represented as a decreasing left-to-right progression, allowing us to disambiguate the contribution of order and magnitude in determining the direction of the effect.

Hand function assessment in the first years of life in unilateral cerebral palsy: Correlation with neuroimaging and cortico-spinal reorganization.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to correlate early hand function assessment during the first years of life with neuroimaging findings and the different patterns of cortico-motor reorganization in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP).

Methods: We conducted a long prospective observational study, in which 17 children with UCP (8 left-sided hemiplegia; Manual Ability Classification System level 1-3) were first assessed at a mean age of 24 months (range 18-28), and followed up by means of the Besta Scale, a new standardized protocol assessing both unimanual and bimanual hand function. They also underwent Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function (MUUL) and single-pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) at a mean age of 10 years 5 months (range 9 y 1 m-12 y 8 m).

Grey-Scale Analysis Improves the Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Thyroid Nodules.

Ultrasonography is the main imaging method for the workup of thyroid nodules. However, interobserver agreement reported for echogenicity and echotexture is quite low. The aim of this study was to perform quantitative measurements of the degree of echogenicity and heterogeneity of thyroid nodules, to develop an objective and reproducible method to stratify these features to predict malignancy.

Strain US Elastography for the Characterization of Thyroid Nodules: Advantages and Limitation.

Thyroid nodules, with their high prevalence in the general population, represent a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Ultrasound (US), although absolutely reliable in detecting thyroid nodules, is still not accurate enough to differentiate them into benign and malignant. A promising novel modality, US elastography, has been introduced in order to further increase US accuracy.

Influence of thyrotropin and thyroid volume on basal serum calcitonin.

Thyroid volume was found to be a determinant of serum calcitonin levels in animal models and in thyroid-healthy subjects, as recently reported. This study aims to evaluate if this finding is confirmed in patients undergoing ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of suspicious thyroid nodules. A dataset of 561 patients including basal serum FT4, FT3, TSH, calcitonin, thyroid volume, anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb), and cytology report, was retrospectively analysed.

A comprehensive score to diagnose Hashimoto's thyroiditis: a proposal.

The heterogeneity of diagnostic criteria of Hashimoto's thyroiditis leads to overdiagnosis and prevents strong conclusions from being drawn in clinical studies. The aim of this study is to propose a comprehensive scoring system. A case-control study compared a set of presurgical features of patients with lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and controls, in order to design a multi-criteria scoring system.

Thyroglobulin in lymph node fine-needle aspiration washout: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy.

Context: The thyroglobulin measurement in the needle washout after fine-needle aspiration (FNA) has been reported to increase the sensitivity of FNA in identifying lymph node (LN) metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of this technique.

Data Sources: To identify eligible studies, we searched electronic databases for original articles in English from 1975 through 2013.

Automatic spatial association for luminance.

In the present study, we investigated whether luminance and the side of response execution are associated, showing a SNARC-like effect (faster responses with the left hand for dark stimuli, and vice versa for light stimuli). A total of 30 participants were tested in two experiments. In Experiment 1, the association between space and the luminance of chromatic stimuli was directly tested (brightness discrimination).

Thyroid autoimmunity and risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules submitted to fine-needle aspiration cytology.

Background: Whether the risk of cancer is increased in patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis is a controversial issue.

Methods: Between May 2005 and October 2012, 3777 fine-needle aspiration cytologies (FNACs) were performed on 2562 patients. Serum FT4, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), and anti-thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb) were determined.

Total thyroidectomy for Graves' disease treatment.

Objectives: Graves' disease (GD) is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, and accounts worldwide for 60-80% of all cases. The diagnosis is based on clinical findings, and is confirmed by the presence of TRAB, suppression of TSH, and elevation of free thyroxin (free T4), and triiodinethyronin (free T3). GD can be treated by antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine, or surgery.

Thyroid function in infertile patients undergoing assisted reproduction.

Problem: Thyroid disease is one of the most common endocrine conditions affecting women during reproductive age. A link between thyroid and assisted reproduction outcome is debated.

Method Of Study: Serum TSH levels, number and scoring of oocytes and embryos, and number of clinical pregnancies were retrospectively recorded in 164 women undergoing assisted reproduction technologies (ART) at an University-based fertility center, to evaluate the outcome of the first steps of assisted reproduction (ovarian stimulation, oocyte pickup and fertilization, embryo transfer and implantation) in relation to thyroid function and autoimmunity.

Thyroid diseases in women with breast cancer.

Aim: Several studies have been undertaken to investigate a possible link between breast cancer and thyroid diseases, notably thyroid carcinoma and autoimmune thyroid diseases, but the issue remains unresolved. The aim of this study is to evaluate, in thyropathic women with and without breast cancer, the following effects: the distribution of different thyroid diseases, the breast-cancer-related prevalence of anti-thyroperoxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies and the role in thyroid pathology of breast-cancer post-surgery therapy with tamoxifene.

Materials And Methods: One-hundred-ninety thyropathic women with breast cancer (BC group) were recruited, and compared with a control group (C group) of one-hundred-ninety thyropathic women without breast cancer.

Intrinsic factors affecting adequacy of thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration cytology.

Objective: To evaluate intrinsic nodule features predictive of an inadequate report in fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).

Design: Single-centre cross-sectional study.

Methods: Between May 2005 and April 2011, 3279 ultrasonography-assisted FNACs were carried out and features of nodules recorded prospectively.

Minimally invasive thyroidectomy and the differentiated lesions: the way to follow.

Background And Objectives: Nowadays, the conventional thyroidectomy may appear an overly aggressive treatment in patients undergoing intervention for small suspicious lesions harboring in low volume glands. In these cases a minimally invasive approach may be a safe and appropriate option. This work aims to evaluate the effectiveness of minimally invasive thyroidectomy in patients indicated to surgery for small lesions with preoperative suspicion of malignancy.

Interpretation of serum calcitonin in patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.

Calcitonin (CT) is an important clinical marker for the diagnosis and follow-up of medullary thyroid carcinoma, although it is not absolutely specific. Some authors have reported C-cell hyperplasia in a number of thyroid specimens affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The association between thyroiditis and hypercalcitoninemia is still controversial because some authors have reported low CT levels.

Knowledge of iodoprophylaxis and iodized salt consumption among medical students in Italy.

Objectives: Iodine deficiency is still a notable health-care problem in several regions of Europe and can be responsible for maternal and fetal goiter, miscarriages, stillbirths, reduced fetal growth, congenital hypothyroidisms, damaged reproduction in adult life, and inadequate development and maturation of the fetal brain, which is the major preventable cause of mental defects. The aim of this study was to assess the medical students' knowledge and practices regarding the program of iodized-salt-use and active iodine prophylaxis program launched by the Italian Ministry of Health.

Materials And Methods: A self-administered, anonymous, 19 single-item questionnaire was developed.

Subitizing reflects visuo-spatial object individuation capacity.

Subitizing is the immediate apprehension of the exact number of items in small sets. Despite more than a 100years of research around this phenomenon, its nature and origin are still unknown. One view posits that it reflects a number estimation process common for small and large sets, which precision decreases as the number of items increases, according to Weber's law.