Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasound and Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology in Thyroid Malignancy.

: Thyroid nodule incidence is increasing due to the widespread application of ultrasonography. Fine-needle aspiration cytology is widely applied for the detection of malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of ultrasonography in thyroid cancer.

Molecular Ballet: Investigating the Complex Interaction between Self-Assembling Dendrimers and Human Serum Albumin via Computational and Experimental Methods.

Dendrimers, intricate macromolecules with highly branched nanostructures, offer unique attributes including precise control over size, shape, and functionality, making them promising candidates for a wide range of biomedical applications. The exploration of their interaction with biological environments, particularly human serum albumin (HSA), holds significant importance for biomedical utilization. In this study, the interaction between HSA and a recently developed self-assembling amphiphilic dendrimer (AD) was investigated using various experimental techniques.

Real-Life Experience and Predictors of Visual Outcomes with Intravitreal Brolucizumab Switch for Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Introduction: To analyze visual and anatomical outcomes after switch to intravitreal brolucizumab therapy in eyes affected by neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) previously treated with other intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents.

Methods: Retrospective study of eyes with nAMD that underwent intravitreal brolucizumab at San Raffaele Hospital (Milan, Italy) or San Rocco Clinical Institute (Ome, Italy) between January 2021 and July 2022. All study eyes had persistent residual retinal fluid after receiving at least 3 intravitreal injections of other anti-VEGF agents prior to switch to brolucizumab.

Afterload increase challenge unmasks systolic abnormalities in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Background: Provocative maneuvers have the potential to overcome the low sensitivity of resting echocardiography and biomarkers in the detection of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We investigate the mechanical response of the left ventricle to an afterload challenge in patients with preclinical and early-stage HFpEF (es-HFpEF).

Methods: Three groups of patients (non-HFpEF - n = 42, pre-HFpEF - n = 43, and es-HFpEF - n = 39) underwent echocardiography at rest and during an afterload challenge induced by handgrip maneuver combined with pneumatic constriction of limbs.

Some things old, new and borrowed: Delivery of dabrafenib and vemurafenib to melanoma cells via self-assembled nanomicelles based on an amphiphilic dendrimer.

Two clinically approved anticancer drugs targeting BRAF in melanoma patients - dabrafenib (DAB) and vemurafenib (VEM) - have been successfully encapsulated into nanomicelles formed upon self-assembly of an amphiphilic dendrimer AD based on two C aliphatic chains and a G2 PAMAM head. The process resulted in the formation of well-defined (∼10 nm) core-shell nanomicelles (NMs) with excellent encapsulation efficiency (∼70% for DAB and ∼60% for VEM) and good drug loading capacity (∼27% and ∼24% for DAB and VEM, respectively). Dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and molecular simulation (MS) experiments were used, respectively, to determine the size and structure of the empty and drug-loaded nanomicelles (DLNMs), along with the interactions between the NMs and their cargoes.

Thyroid sarcoidosis: a rare entity in the differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

Summary: We present two cases of thyroid sarcoidosis that were misdiagnosed as thyroid cancer. In the first patient, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAc) of a suspicious thyroid nodule indicated the presence of papillary thyroid cancer, and the patient underwent thyroid surgery. However, histopathology identified a sarcoid granuloma, without any sign of malignancy.

Introducing Cytology-Based Theranostics in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Pilot Program.

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of brush cytology in the biomarker expression profiling of oral squamous cell carcinomas within the concept of theranostics, and to correlate this biomarker profile with patient measurable outcomes. Markers representative of prognostic gene expression changes in oral squamous cell carcinoma was selected. These markers were also selected to involve pathways for which commercially available or investigational agents exist for clinical application.

Brush cytology with immunocytochemical evaluation of VEGF expression versus biopsy in clinically precancerous laryngeal lesions: can we diagnose laryngeal cancer only with brush cytology?

Introduction. Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the most common SCC of the head and neck. The high incidence of this malignancy and the low survival rate necessitate the development of novel diagnostic approaches.

Synchronous adenocarcinoma and echinococcosis in the same ovary: a rare clinical entity.

Background: Serous adenocarcinoma is the most common subtype of ovarian carcinoma, while ovarian echinococcosis is a rare disease of the female genital system. The simultaneous presence of adenocarcinoma and echinococcosis in the same ovary is extremely rare and little data exist regarding diagnosis and treatment approach.

Materials And Methods: In the present paper, we report a rare case of a 66-year-old Greek Caucasian woman of rural origin, with an adnexal mass, ascitic and pleural fluid.

Poly-N-acetyl glucosamine nanofibers for negative-pressure wound therapies.

The wound healing promoting effect of negative wound pressure therapies (NPWT) takes place at the wound interface. The use of bioactive substances at this site represents a major research area for the development of future NPWT therapies. To assess wound healing kinetics in pressure ulcers treated by NPWT with or without the use of a thin interface membrane consisting of poly-N-acetyl glucosamine nanofibers (sNAG) a prospective randomized clinical trial was performed.

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma presenting as lymph node metastasis--a diagnostic challenge: case report and systematic review of literature.

Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs) have an excellent prognosis, although a few may metastasize to cervical lymph nodes. However, an infiltrated palpable neck node without evidence of thyroid disease at presentation is uncommon. We report a patient with PTMC presenting as a solitary lymph node metastasis without evidence of primary thyroid tumor in thyroid imaging and with inconclusive lymph node fine-needle biopsy (FNB) cytology.

Neuropeptide-inducible upregulation of proteasome activity precedes nuclear factor kappa B activation in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.

Background: Upregulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) activity and neuroendocrine differentiation are two mechanisms known to be involved in prostate cancer (PC) progression to castration resistance. We have observed that major components of these pathways, including NFκB, proteasome, neutral endopeptidase (NEP) and endothelin 1 (ET-1), exhibit an inverse and mirror image pattern in androgen-dependent (AD) and -independent (AI) states in vitro.

Methods: We have now investigated for evidence of a direct mechanistic connection between these pathways with the use of immunocytochemistry (ICC), western blot analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and proteasome activity assessment.

Selenomethionine treatment in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis: a prospective, quasi-randomised trial.

Aims: To test whether selenium administration affects autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and thyroglobulin (anti-TG) titres in chronic autoimmune (Hashimoto's - HT) thyroiditis.

Methods: A prospective, open-label, quasi-randomised study in 86 HT patients (n = 86) assigned to either selenomethionine (Seme) 200μg daily for 3 months (Se3, n = 15) or 6 months (Se6, n = 46) or placebo (Control, n = 25). Serum Se, anti-TPO, anti-TG and thyroid hormones were measured in all patients at baseline, 3 and 6 months.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of salivary gland tumours: a 10-year retrospective analysis.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of salivary gland tumours performed at a tertiary cancer hospital over a time period of 10 years.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out between 1995 and 2004 to review the cases of patients with salivary gland tumours who had undergone pre-operative FNA and for whom definite histology was either by tru-cut biopsy or by histopathological examination of the operative specimen.

Results: A total of 107 cases of salivary gland tumours were treated during that period, but only 82 cases diagnosed by FNAC could be correlated with histological and clinical data and were considered for this study.

Inverse baseline expression pattern of the NEP/neuropeptides and NFκB/proteasome pathways in androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.

Background: Castration-resistance in prostate cancer (PC) is a critical event hallmarking a switch to a more aggressive phenotype. Neuroendocrine differentiation and upregulation of NFκB transcriptional activity are two mechanisms that have been independently linked to this process.

Methods: We investigated these two pathways together using in vitro models of androgen-dependent (AD) and androgen-independent (AI) PC.

Successful treatment of a spontaneous haemothorax with recombinant factor VIIa in a haemophilic child with inhibitors.

Haemophilia A is an X-linked disorder caused by a deficiency of factor VIII. Haemorrhage in various sites may occur spontaneously or secondary to trauma depending on the severity of the deficiency. Common manifestations include haemarthrosis, epistaxis, gastrointestinal haemorrhage and haematuria.

Malignant Leydig-cell tumor of the testis diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration using ThinPrep technique.

Leydig cell tumors (LCT) are rare sex cord-stromal tumors that account for 2-3% of all testicular tumors. Approximately 10% of LCTs shows evidence of malignant behavior. We present a case of LCT with severe atypia diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in a 49-year-old man who presented with gynecomastia and right testis enlargement.

Acute respiratory admissions in Thessaloniki, Greece: 14-year follow-up.

Background: Acute exacerbations of respiratory diseases are a common cause of hospitalization among infants and children.

Aim: To assess the epidemiological characteristics of asthma, bronchiolitis and croup among hospitalized children in Thessaloniki, from 1990 to 2003 included.

Methods: Data from the patient registry with discharge diagnosis "asthma", "bronchiolitis" and "croup" were analyzed retrospectively, in five Paediatric Departments of Thessaloniki.

Poly-N-acetyl glucosamine nanofibers: a new bioactive material to enhance diabetic wound healing by cell migration and angiogenesis.

Introduction: In several fields of surgery, the treatment of complicated tissue defects is an unsolved clinical problem. In particular, the use of tissue scaffolds has been limited by poor revascularization and integration. In this study, we developed a polymer, poly-N-acetyl-glucosamine (sNAG), with bioactive properties that may be useful to overcome these limitations.

A rare case of paratesticular embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration: a case report.

Background: Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of children < 15 years of age.

Case: We report a case of a paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) in an 18-year-old man with enlargement of the right testis. The FNA material revealed mainly isolated small to median-sized malignant cells with various shapes.

Non-AIDS Kaposi's sarcoma in the head and neck area.

Kaposi's sarcoma is classified into 4 types: classic (sporadic), African (endemic), iatrogenic (transplant recipients), and epidemic (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS]-associated). This article aims to feature a comprehensive review of non-AIDS Kaposi's sarcoma, including literature review and report of 3 cases. Case material was from our hospital's archive.

Cardiac tamponade as primary manifestation of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILT). Coexistence with malignant mesothelioma.

Background: Cardiac tamponade (CT) as the primary clinical manifestation of lymphomas is extremely rare. Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILT) is characterised by systemic disease usually presenting with generalised peripheral lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and bone marrow infiltration.

Case Report: We report on a 59-year-old male patient with CT as initial clinical manifestation of AILT.

Diagnosis of metastatic tumors in cerebrospinal fluid samples using thin-layer cytology.

Objective: To evaluate the application of ThinPrep liquid-based cytology (LBC) and present our experience using LBC in the diagnosis of metastatic tumors in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples.

Study Design: We examined 38 cytologic specimens of CSF, processed by ThinPrep technique. Of these, 18 presented with a previously diagnosed primary malignancy.

[Laparoscopic repair of incisional and umbilical hernias. Our experience].

Background: Incisional hernia is a frequent complication of abdominal surgery (2-20% of all cases). Recurrence rate after simple repair without mesh is very high. The use of prosthetic materials has reduced the recurrences.