Indications for surgery and significance of unrecognized cancer in endemic multinodular goiter.

Background: The exclusion of cancer in endemic goiter is often difficult mainly because of the high number of nodules and the as-yet unclear natural history of diagnosed cancer in endemic goiter patients. In a large number of consecutive patients who were to undergo total thyroidectomy for endemic multinodular goiter, we assessed indications for surgery and thyroid cancer outcome.

Methods: All patients who were to undergo total thyroidectomy for diffuse multinodular goiter on histological examination between January 1990 and October 2008 were evaluated.

LigaSure versus clamp-and-tie thyroidectomy for benign nodular disease.

Background: LigaSure is an alternative bipolar diathermy system (BDS) combining vessel sealing with reduced thermal spread, which has been successfully used in many abdominal operations; however, there is a little experience in open thyroidectomy. This study compares the efficacy and the advantages of the LigaSure BDS when used for total thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disease with the conventional clamp-and-tie technique.

Methods: Between May 1998 and October 2002, 517 patients underwent total thyroidectomy for benign thyroid multinodular goiter.

Hyperglycemia attenuates erythromycin-induced acceleration of solid-phase gastric emptying in healthy subjects.

Background: Acute hyperglycemia has been associated with delayed gastric emptying of solid foods in healthy control subjects. Erythromycin has been found to be a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent in humans. We examined whether acute steady-state hyperglycemia reduces the erythromycin-induced acceleration of gastric emptying of a solid meal after a fasted state in healthy subjects.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas: report of a case after a 10-year follow-up and review of the literature.

A solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) is an extremely rare tumour of the pancreas that frequently occurs in young females and is mostly benign. SPN is a low-grade malignant tumour that may evolve years before symptoms start. However, the pathogenesis of this tumour remains unclear and there are no adequate reports of long-term results to evaluate the management and the long-term surgical control.

Hyperglycemia attenuates erythromycin-induced acceleration of liquid-phase gastric emptying of hypertonic liquids in healthy subjects.

Acute hyperglycemia has been associated with delayed gastric emptying in healthy controls. Erythromycin has recently been found to be a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent in both solids and hypertonic liquids. Our aim was to examine whether the acute steady-state hyperglycemia reduces the erythromycin-induced acceleration of gastric emptying of hypertonic liquids after a fasted state of the stomach in healthy subjects.