Publications by authors named "Rita Gervasi"

Purpose: The occurrence and histopathological features of incidental thyroid carcinoma (ITC) vary considerably among populations from different geographical regions. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and histopathological characteristics of ITC in patients who underwent thyroid surgery for apparently benign thyroid diseases in an endemic goiter area in Italy.

Methods: A total of 649 consecutive patients (531 females and 118 males; mean age, 52.

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The overall estimated risk of recurrence after an apparently complete thyroid cancer resection ranges from <1% to 55%, and the high-quality pathology report is crucial for proper risk stratification. The neck ultrasound (US) and serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and anti-Tg antibody (TgAb) assays are the mainstays for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (DTC) follow-up. However, the neck US includes a high frequency of nonspecific findings and despite the serum, Tg unmasks the presence of thyrocytes, it is not discriminating between normal and malignant cells.

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Warthin like-papillary thyroid cancer (WL-PTC) is a rare malignancy; it is difficult to distinguish preoperatively a WLPTC from a classic PTC. Often it is associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) that determines a better prognosis with a very low probability of recurrence. The case concerns a 43-year-old female with a single thyroid nodule suspected for cancer; and she had multiple sclerosis (MS) from the age of 19.

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Article Synopsis
  • Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM) helps prevent injuries to the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN) during thyroid surgery, but long-acting neuromuscular blockers (NMBAs) should be limited to protect nerve function.
  • This study involved 100 patients undergoing elective thyroid surgery, comparing a low dose of rocuronium to no NMBAs during intubation, analyzing IONM signals and intubation difficulties.
  • Results showed that low-dose rocuronium did not affect IONM signals before surgery while also improving intubation conditions, leading to fewer complications compared to the no-NMBA group.
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Cancer cells are known to secrete many bioactive factors acting both with paracrine and autocrine mechanisms by which they condition the surrounding microenvironment. At the same time, the intracytoplasmic metabolic activities microenvironment influences the profile of this secretion. It is well known that cancer cells exhibit prevalent glycolytic metabolism and a more oxidative atmosphere compared to their healthy counterparts; this metabolic phenotype promotes glycate adducts formation and secretion.

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Introduction: Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare malignancy. Our case report is unusual for its presentation. The patient referred symptoms compatible with CRF; nodular lesions to parathyroid glands and an elevated PTH induced physician to hypothesize secondary hyperparathyroidism.

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Background: Hypocalcemia, the most common complication of thyroidectomy, is a transient condition in up to 27% of patients and a permanent condition approximately 1% of patients. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate reliability of postoperative intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) assessment for predicting clinically relevant postthyroidectomy hypocalcemia for a safe early discharge of patients with no overtreatment.

Methods: Seventy-five consecutive patients (age 51 ± 13 years [mean ± SD]) undergoing total or completion thyroidectomy with no concomitant parathyroid diseases or renal failure were included in the present study.

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Background: Bariatric procedures can induce a massive weight loss that lasts for >15 years after surgery; in addition, they achieve important metabolic effects including diabetes resolution in the majority of morbidly obese patients. However, some bariatric interventions may cause gastroesophageal reflux disease and other serious complications. The aim of our study is to evaluate the risk of cancer after bariatric surgery.

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Introduction: Obesity is a multifactorial chronic disease caused by a combination of hereditary, metabolic, dietary, cultural, social and psychological factors. Conservative treatments, such as diet and physical exercises, revealed a lack of long-term efficacy in patients with an extremely high BMI (>60 kg/m(2)).

Methods: We present a multidisciplinary approach in a patient with an extremely high BMI: a twenty-one years old woman with a BMI 102 kg/m(2) (body weight 313 kg × height 175 cm) disabled to walk with severe depression and a psychological pattern of sweet eater and binge eating disorder.

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Background: Thyroid disease is common in the elderly population. The incidence of hypothyroidism and multinodular goitre gradually increases with age. In view of a growth of aging population, we performed a literature review about the feasibility of thyroid surgery in the elderly.

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In recent years, laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) has gained greater interest and diffusion for the treatment of gallstones. This critical review aims to evaluate the feasibility and safety of LESS cholecystectomy versus the 3-port technique (TPT) through a comparative analysis of 5 parameters: mean operative time, intraoperative and postoperative complications, conversion to open, conversion to the 4-trocar technique and postoperative hospital stay. The authors performed a systematic search of the medical literature through a search of PubMed and Ovid EMBASE.

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Colorectal cancer is locally advanced in 10-20% of cases. In these cases the surgical procedure of multivisceral resection is used in an attempt to obtain a curative result. The aim of the present study was to assess survival and biological humoral and clinical factors in patients subjected to multivisceral resection in our surgical unit.

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