Publications by authors named "Julia Baran"

Objective: Levothyroxine (LT) monotherapy is the current recommended approach for treating pediatric patients post-total thyroidectomy (TT) based on the assumption that peripheral conversion of thyroxine (T) to triiodothyronine (T) normalizes thyroid hormone levels. In adults, approximately 15% of post-TT patients on LT4 monotherapy have altered T:T ratios with ongoing debate in regard to the clinical impact with respect to health-related quality of life (hrQOL). The ability to normalize T and T levels on LT monotherapy for pediatric patients' post-TT is important but not previously described.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the American Thyroid Association's guidelines for selective prophylactic central neck dissection (pCND) in children with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) by looking at tumor genetics as a potential way to determine need for surgery.
  • Researchers analyzed data from pediatric patients who had post-thyroidectomy oncogene testing and found that tumors with low-invasive alterations showed significantly lower rates of lymph node involvement compared to those with high-invasive alterations.
  • The findings suggest that understanding the genetic profile of PTC tumors can help identify pediatric patients who may not need aggressive surgical intervention, thereby reducing unnecessary procedures.
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Introduction: Radiation-induced lung injury is a rare complication of radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) in pediatric thyroid cancer treatment. In this case report, we describe a pediatric patient with an ERC1::RET-positive classic papillary thyroid carcinoma who developed progressive respiratory symptoms and chest imaging abnormalities following RAIT for lymph node and pulmonary disease.

Case Presentation: A pediatric patient with ERC1::RET-positive classic papillary thyroid carcinoma was hospitalized for pulmonary decompensation 3 months following one empiric dose of RAIT.

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Introduction: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk for radiotherapy (RT) late effects, including second malignancies. Optimal screening for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in CCS post-RT remains controversial. We assessed the outcome of thyroid ultrasound (US) surveillance in CCS exposed to RT.

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Context: The American Thyroid Association (ATA) Pediatric Guidelines recommend patients not receive radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) confined to the thyroid. Since publication, there is ongoing concern whether withholding RAIT will result in a lower rate of remission.

Objective: This study explores whether ATA low-risk patients treated with and without RAIT achieved similar remission rates.

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Article Synopsis
  • - DICER1 is a crucial enzyme that helps produce mature microRNAs (miRNAs), and mutations in its RNase IIIb domain can lead to issues with miRNA generation, promoting thyroid cancer development.
  • - The study analyzed the miRNA and mRNA profiles in various thyroid tissues, including non-cancerous and cancerous samples, revealing that mutations in DICER1 lead to a reduction of tumor-suppressive 5p-derived miRNAs and an increase in certain 3p miRNAs, which could serve as cancer markers.
  • - The alterations in miRNA expression result in gene changes that promote cell growth and affect signaling pathways, indicating a possible loss of thyroid differentiation and a tendency toward a more indol
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Pediatric Graves' disease (GD) is associated with hyperthyroid symptoms that impact psychosocial and physical functioning. Total thyroidectomy (TT) is a definitive treatment option that replaces antithyroid medication. While studies have examined health-related quality of life (QOL) in adults, there are no data describing impacts of TT in pediatrics.

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Follicular patterned thyroid nodules with nuclear features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) encompass a range of diagnostic categories with varying risks of metastatic behavior. Subtypes include the invasive encapsulated follicular variant of PTC (Ienc-fvPTC) and infiltrative fvPTC (inf-fvPTC), with tumors lacking invasive features classified as noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasms with papillary-like features (NIFTPs). This study aimed to report the clinical and histological features of pediatric cases meeting criteria for these histological subtypes, with specific focus on Ienc-fvPTC and inf-fvPTC.

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Introduction: The diagnostic utility of molecular profiling for the evaluation of indeterminate pediatric thyroid nodules is unclear. We aimed to assess pediatric cases with indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) alongside clinicopathologic features and mutational analysis.

Methods: A retrospective review of 126 patients with indeterminate cytology who underwent FNA between January 2010 and December 2021 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was performed.

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Differentiated thyroid cancer and breast cancer account for a significant portion of endocrine-related malignancies and predominately affect women. As hormonally responsive tissues, the breast and thyroid share endocrine signaling. Breast cells are responsive to thyroid hormone signaling and are affected by altered thyroid hormone levels.

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Thyroid lobectomy reduces risks of surgical complications and need for levothyroxine (LT4). We aimed at identifying the clinical course and risk factors for postlobectomy hypothyroidism to optimize surgical counseling and management in pediatric patients undergoing lobectomy. Clinical and biochemical presentations pre- and postlobectomy were retrospectively reviewed for 110 patients who underwent thyroid lobectomy between 2008 and 2020 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

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Introduction: Risk of malignancy for pediatric thyroid nodules classified according to The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) is not well defined. Correlations between risk of malignancy and ancillary clinical data remain inconclusive. We report a single institutional experience of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) to improve upon current management paradigm of thyroid nodules.

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Introduction: Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) comprises a collection of clinical features characterized by constitutional variants in PTEN. Several guidelines recommend thyroid screening, beginning at the pediatric age at the time of PHTS diagnosis; however, the benefits of early surveillance has not been well defined.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective investigation of patients followed up at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with a diagnosis of PHTS between January 2003 and June 2019.

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Background: Ingenol mebutat (IM)-gel is effective for the topical treatment of epithelial tumors, including actinic keratoses (AKs) or anogenital warts (AGW). AK patients treated with IM develop intensified inflammatory reactions on sights of prior clinical visible or palpable AKs as compared to the surrounding actinically damaged skin, suggesting the induction of a tumor cell-directed inflammation. AGW patients treated with IM develop even stronger inflammatory reactions with large erosions, suggesting a directed inflammatory response against HPV-infected keratinocytes.

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Recently, it has been reported that ingenol mebutate (IM) is an effective treatment option for anogenital warts (AGW), inducing fast wart necrosis within 24 hours in vivo. With regard to its mode of action, IM is thought to act both as an inducer of direct cytotoxic effects and immunologic mechanisms. To distinguish whether the wart necrosis is mainly caused by cytotoxic effects, or whether immune mechanisms are leading, we used time-lapse imaging to analyse IM-treated warts ex vivo over 24 hours.

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