Continuation of amiodarone therapy despite type II amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis.

Background: Amiodarone is a powerful antiarrhythmic drug; however, its use may be complicated by thyrotoxicosis. When this occurs, clinicians must balance the continuation of amiodarone for antiarrhythmic purposes, and the discontinuation of treatment in order to prevent aggravation of the thyrotoxicosis. We studied the consequences of continuation or cessation of amiodarone in patients with type II amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis.

Surgery versus medical follow-up in patients with asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism: a decision analysis.

Objectives: To examine the cost-effectiveness of strategies for management of primary asymptomatic hyperparathyroidism: surgical strategies and medical follow-up versus surgery.

Design: We used a Markov state-transition decision-analytic model for an hypothetical cohort of 55-year-old women to compare with a lifetime horizon costs and effectiveness of bilateral neck exploration (BNE), unilateral neck exploration (UNE), video-assisted parathyroidectomy (VAP) and lifelong medical follow-up shifting for either BNE or UNE in case of disease progression.

Methods: Data on localization tests, complications and treatment efficacies were derived from a systematic review of the literature.

[Iodine excess and thyroid dysfunction].

Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism may develop during iodine excess. Hypothyroidism occurs mostly in newborns or in elderly patients with underlying autoimmune thyroiditis and is treated by substitutive doses of thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism is of two types.

[Hyperthyroidism due to excess iodine].

TWO TYPES: Hyperthyroidism may develop in around 10% of patients in excess iodine. It may reveal an undetected pretoxic thyroid disease (type I) or have been induced by excess iodine in previously normal thyroid gland or in an euthyroid goiter (type II). IODINE EXCESSE REVEALING THYROTOXICOSIS: In the former situation, symptoms appear shortly after the iodine load, thyroid scintigraphy shows significant uptake and therapy includes discontinuation of iodine excess, antithyroid drugs, potassium perchlorate and, if necessary, thyroidectomy or a therapeutic dose of iodide 131.

Computerised intrapartum diagnosis of fetal hypoxia based on fetal heart rate monitoring and fetal pulse oximetry recordings utilising wavelet analysis and neural networks.

Objective: To develop a computerised system that will assist the early diagnosis of fetal hypoxia and to investigate the relationship between the fetal heart rate variability and the fetal pulse oximetry recordings.

Design: Retrospective off-line analysis of cardiotocogram and FSpO2 recordings.

Setting: The Maternity Unit of the 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aretaieion Hospital, University of Athens.