[Thyrotropin-secreting adenomas of the hypophysis].

Thyrotropin secreting pituitary adenomas are scarce. They may cause an extremely rare form of hyperthyroidism. The diagnosis is often delayed because the clinical symptoms are attributed to common types of hyperthyroidism.

[Octreotide in the treatment of thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenomas].

The authors detected in a 30-year-old patient a very rare type of hyperthyroidism caused by a thyrotropin secreting pituitary adenoma. Scintigraphic examination of the pituitary by means of 111In radiolabelled octreotide revealed an increased accumulation of the radiopharmaceutical preparation in the tumour, which confirmed the high density of somatostatin receptors. After onset of octreotide treatment (Sandostatin, Sandoz, Switzerland) 3 x 100 ug/day by the s.

Comparative screening for thyroid disorders in old age in areas of iodine deficiency, long-term iodine prophylaxis and abundant iodine intake.

Objective: To investigate the effect of varying amounts of iodine intake on the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, autoimmunity and goitre in old age.

Design: The first screening study where elderly subjects with varying amounts of iodine supply but from the same geographical and ethnographical region (Carpathian basin) were compared, and all hormone measurements and ultrasonography were performed by the same laboratory or person.

Patients: Nursing home residents were screened for thyroid disorders from: (A) an iodine-deficient area, Northern Hungary (n = 119; median age 81 years; median iodine excretion (MIE) 0.

Adrenal incidentalomas--analysis of 23 cases discovered by ultrasound.

Frequent use of abdominal ultrasonography (USG) increases discovery of incidental adrenal tumors. Our experience and concise review of recent opinions on management of adrenal incidentalomas is presented. In four out of 23 patients with adrenal incidentalomas false positivity of USG was found (all on the left side), 4 cases were identified as pseudoadrenal masses.

[Therapeutic approach in patients in hypertensive crisis].

The clinical picture of a hypertensive crisis is not determined only by the blood pressure reading but mainly by the associated symptoms of acute organ damage: neurological, cardiovascular and renal symptoms. The approach to the patient depends on the fact whether an emergency or urgent condition is involved. The authors review at first general principles of treatment of hypertensive crises.

[The effectiveness of iodine prophylaxis of endemic goiter in Slovakia from the viewpoint of physical and ultrasonographic examinations of the thyroid gland].

Being aimed at the effectivity of iodine prophylaxis of endemic goitre the authors examined 2946 children and adolescents at the age of 6-18 years during the period from 1989 to 1995 in 6 regions of Slovakia. The thyroid glands were examined physically and ultrasonographically. The authors have found out that the occurrence rate of diffuse goitre is acceptable and it is not meeting the criteria of endemic goitre.

[Thin-needle aspiration biopsy in the preoperative diagnosis of non-toxic nodular goiter].

The ascertainment of diagnostic reliability of fine needle aspiration biopsy in preoperative examination of non-toxic goitres is performed by comparing its results with the findings of the definitive histologic examination. The set of patients did not include those with the cytological finding of Hürtle tumour for the impossibility to distinguish between adenomas and carcinomas from oxyphilic cells by means of cytologic examination. Aspirates were stained by May, Grunwald and Giemsa method.

[Surgical treatment of hyperparathyroidism].

The authors present their experience with the diagnosis and treatment of hyperparathyroidism in a group of eight patients operated between June 1993 and November 1993 at the Surgical Clinic of Dérer's Hospital in Bratislava-Kramáre. They summarize the findings on the disease from the literature and compare them with their own clinical observations, which confirm the indication of surgical revision as a useful localizing method, and the necessity of perioperative histological diagnosis to determine the extent of surgery.

Compliance with antihypertensive treatment in consultation rooms for hypertensive patients.

Compliance with antihypertensive therapy was examined by a questionnaire in 124 essential hypertension patients in an outpatient hypertension clinic. It was found that antihypertensive drugs were used regularly by only 62% of patients, with forgetting and feeling of well-being without therapy the principal reasons given for irregular drug taking. Treatment of hypertension is reported to have a deleterious effect on physical and mental activity, routine activities, sexual activity, memory, athletics and family life in only 2% of patients.

Incidence of thyroid hormone autoantibodies in patients with thyroid diseases with respect to diagnosis, other types of autoantibodies, duration of disease and treatment.

Thyroid hormone autoantibodies (THAA] were estimated in a total of 149 patients (139 women and 10 men) with various thyroid diseases. THAA were found in a total of 22 patients (all women), i.e.

[Comparison of the results of radioimmunologic and hemagglutination methods in the determination of antibodies against thyroglobulin and the effect of these antibodies on thyroglobulin serum levels].

The following methods have been introduced at our institute: labeling of human thyroglobulin (H-Tg) with the radioiodine 125I by the lactoperoxidase method, radioimmunologic method for serum H-Tg determination by means of rabbit antiserum to H-Tg prepared at our institute, and radioimmunologic method for the determination of antibodies to thyroglobulin. Sera from 15 patients with different thyropathies were examined by the given methods. In the first part of the work the quality of 125I labeled H-Tg was studied.

Plasma cells in aspirates of goitre and overt permanent hypothyroidism following subacute thyroiditis. Preliminary report.

The occurrence of permanent overt hypothyroidism (POH) following subacute thyroiditis (SAT) was studied in 103 patients during 11-142 months (mean 52.8 months). Increased amount of plasma cells in cytological pictures of goitre aspirates was found at the time of diagnosis of SAT in 25 cases (24.

The frequency of HLA-Dw1 determinant in subacute (de Quervain's) thyroiditis.

Investigation of a group of 23 patients suffering from subacute (de Quervain's) thyroiditis for the frequency of the HLA-Dw1 determinant showed this determinatant to be more frequent--30.4%--compared to its frequency in a healthy population--19.1%.

Subacute (de Quervain's) thyroiditis: association with HLA-Bw35 antigen and abnormalities of the complement system, immunoglobulins and other serum proteins.

The HLA antigens in 40 patients with subacute thyroiditis were investigated. An association between subacute thyroiditis and HLA-Bw35 antigen as previously reported, was confirmed. Further immunological observations included a decrease in Serum Clq, C4 and C3 activator levels; conversely, there was an increase in serum C3, IgM, alpha1-acid glycoprotein and alpha1-antitrypsin levels.

Morphological, cytological and biological observations on viruses isolated from patients with subacute thyroiditis de Quervain.

New data on viruses isolated from patients with subacute thyroiditis de Quervain are reported. Characteristic morphological, cytological, some physico-chemical and biological features of the isolated viruses are described. A possible role of these viruses in human and animal health disorders is discussed.

Isolation and some serological and epidemiological data on the viruses recovered from patients with subacute thyroiditis de Quervain.

Virological and serological methods were used in examination of 28 patients suffering from subacute thyroiditis de Quervain. Attempts to isolate a presumed viral agent from 8 patients were performed by inoculation of serum, urine, and aspiration biopsies of thyroid glands taken at different stages of the illness, into tissue cultures of different types of human and animal cells. Recovery of a cytopathic viral agent on cells of a rabbit lung continuous line was successful in 5 cases.