Heterogeneity of nuclear DNA pattern and its relationship with cell cycle activity parameters in multinodular goitre.

Objective: Recent studies suggest that the malignancy rate in multinodular goitre is not significantly different from that observed in solitary nodules and that chromosomal aberrations are not infrequent in multinodular goitre. To further investigate this topic we determined the DNA pattern in multinodular goitres.

Design: DNA ploidy and cell cycle activity parameters were determined in multinodular goitres.

An unusual case of adrenal failure due to isolated metastases of breast cancer.

We describe a patient affected by adrenal insufficiency due to metastases of breast cancer. Adrenal involvement became clinically evident 20 years after radical mastectomy and it was the only secondary localization of the tumor. There is still no evidence of other metastases after a two year follow-up.

[Complications of thyroidectomy: hemorrhage].

The authors report their experience in haemorrhage after thyroid surgery. Haemorrhagic complications occurred in 5 cases in a series of 1803 sequential thyroidectomies (incidence: 0.27%).

[Hormonal therapy in differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid gland].

Thyrotropin (TSH) suppression therapy using thyroid hormone plays an important role in the management of patients thyroidectomized for differentiated thyroid cancer. The rationale for TSH suppression is that differentiated thyroid cancer cells have TSH receptors and show increased adenylate cyclase activity following TSH exposure. L-thyroxine is used for long-term therapy.

[Nuclear DNA in neoplastic pathology of the thyroid gland].

We have analysed the nuclear DNA content in a series of 33 thyroid tumours (18 carcinomas and 15 adenomas) and, for comparison, in 189 nodular strumas and 17 tissue samples of normal thyroids, calculating cell cycle parameters and presence of aneuploid DNA. Cell suspensions were prepared for each of three tissue fragments taken for different areas of the surgical specimens. Cell subpopulations with aneuploid DNA content were present in 39% of carcinomas, 27% of adenomas, 20% of strumas, but were absent in the samples from normal thyroids.