Publications by authors named "Stephen W Tamarkin"
Background: Current guidelines recommend either ultrasound-guided or palpation-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy for evaluation of a thyroid nodule. However, it has been suggested that ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy should be used routinely in all patients to reduce the rate of nondiagnostic and false negative results. The purpose of this study was to determine whether any difference exists in nondiagnostic and false negative rates between the two methods of fine-needle aspiration biopsy at our institution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether ultrasonography is helpful in predicting malignancy in patients with a thyroid nodule and atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AFLUS).
Methods: All patients with a preoperative ultrasound who underwent thyroidectomy for a nodule with AFLUS comprised the study population. A blinded review of gray-scale and color-Doppler sonographic images of the thyroid nodule was performed by an expert sonographer; results were compared with the original interpretation and were correlated with histopathology.
Background: Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) is dependent upon accurate preoperative parathyroid localization. We hypothesized that surgeon recognition of subtle differences in radiotracer accumulation would increase the sensitivity of technetium-99m sestamibi imaging and result in more frequent use of MIP.
Methods: Technetium-99m sestamibi scans completed at our institution for patients who underwent resection of a solitary parathyroid adenoma were reviewed by a surgeon and a radiologist who were blinded to patient identifying information, prior scan interpretation, and results of the operation.
Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the performance of computed tomography (CT) angiography in the detection and localization of clinically active gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage of an unknown source.
Materials And Methods: Eighty-six CT angiograms were obtained in 74 patients with the clinical diagnosis of acute GI hemorrhage of an unknown source. Results of CT angiography were recorded, and the patients' electronic medical records were reviewed for documentation of subsequent interventional procedures performed within 24 hours of the reference CT angiogram to diagnose or control ongoing GI hemorrhage.
Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a common cause of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality in the United States. The evaluation and treatment of acute gastrointestinal bleeding are complex and often require a multispecialty approach involving gastroenterologists, surgeons, internists, emergency physicians, and radiologists. The multitude of pathologic processes that can result in gastrointestinal bleeding, the length of the gastrointestinal tract, and the often intermittent nature of gastrointestinal bleeding further complicate patient evaluation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ultrasonography (US) improves the accuracy and reduces the rate of nondiagnostic fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of thyroid nodules.
Methods: A review of 536 consecutive patients evaluated for nodular thyroid disease from 1990 to 2001 was completed to determine the results for US vs palpation-guided FNAB.
Results: FNAB was used to evaluate 458 patients.