Radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules: "Good Clinical Practice Recommendations" for Austria : An interdisciplinary statement from the following professional associations: Austrian Thyroid Association (ÖSDG), Austrian Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (OGNMB), Austrian Society for Endocrinology and Metabolism (ÖGES), Surgical Endocrinology Working Group (ACE) of the Austrian Surgical Society (OEGCH).

The present "Good Clinical Practice Recommendations" relate to radiofrequency ablation (RFA) training, execution, and quality control, as well as to pre- and postinterventional standards of care. They are aimed at all physicians who intend to learn to perform, or who are already conducting RFA interventions as well as at thyroid specialists providing pre- and postoperative care to RFA patients in Austria. Adoption of these recommendations is strongly encouraged by the afore-listed professional associations.

The incidence of hyperthyroidism in Austria from 1987 to 1995 before and after an increase in salt iodization in 1990.

Between 1963 and 1990, Austria had iodized salt prophylaxis of endemic goitre with 10 mg KI (7.5 mg I) per kg. This was obviously insufficient, as urinary iodine excretion ranged from 42 to 78 microg I per g of creatinine and goitre in adults remained in the endemic range of 15%-30%.

Fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis of subacute (de Quervain's) thyroiditis in an endemic goitre area.

Between 1977 and 1989 252 fine needle aspirates (FNAs) of the thyroid from patients with a clinical suspicion of subacute granulomatous (de Quervain's) thyroiditis were examined in the Department of Pathology of the University of Innsbruck, Austria. In the same period 31 cases with preoperative FNA were diagnosed histologically as subacute thyroiditis. Only in three of these cases were the cytological features of de Quervain's thyroiditis found in the preoperative FNA.

Usefulness of physiologic dual-chamber pacing in drug-resistant idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

The beneficial effects of physiologic dual-chamber (DDD) pacing in the treatment of end-stage idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were evaluated in 16 patients in whom conventional drug therapy had failed. Candidates for cardiac transplantation as well as patients not accepted for transplantation participated. During DDD pacing at an atrioventricular delay of 100 ms, left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 16.

Clinicopathologic management of tumors of the thyroid gland in an endemic goiter area. Combined use of preoperative fine needle aspiration biopsy and intraoperative frozen section.

In total, 15,325 fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies of the thyroid were examined in the Department of Pathology of the University of Innsbruck, Austria, between 1976 and 1985, with the cytologic results histologically verified in 3,112 cases. Since (1) it is frequently impossible to distinguish benign from malignant encapsulated follicular thyroid tumors by cytologic criteria and (2) there is a high level of follicular thyroid carcinoma in our endemic goiter area, we have adopted a diagnostic strategy that accepts a high percentage of false-positive cytologic results in order not to miss highly differentiated follicular carcinoma. To avoid unnecessarily extensive surgical treatment, 1,079 intraoperative frozen section examinations of the thyroid were performed in the same time period in (1) patients with preoperative suspicious or positive FNA cytologic findings, (2) cases with suspicious clinical and anamnestic data and (3) tumors with a suspicious macroscopic appearance without preoperative FNA or with negative or unsatisfactory cytologic findings.

An experimental approach to explain some misinterpretations of diuresis renography.

Since its introduction in 1978, gamma camera diuresis renography has proved a useful technique in the differential diagnosis of the dilated renal pelvis. Comparative analyses with perfusion pressure flow studies have revealed discrepancies in a number of cases. These may have been caused in part by incorrect interpretation of the renograms.

[On the problem of the cardiotoxicity of epirubicin-cisplatin].

Cardiotoxicity is supposed to be the most important limiting factor in chemotherapy with anthracycline derivatives. The left ventricular ejection fraction was measured several times by means of radionuclid - scintigraphy in 24 patients treated with epirubicin - cisplatinum. Pathologic values have been found only in 3 patients, but no correlation with age, cumulative dose or dose/m2 of body surface could be demonstrated.

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Analysis of 94 cases with preoperative fine needle aspiration cytologic examination.

From 1979 to 1983, 94 papillary carcinomas of the thyroid gland were examined histologically in our institute after a preoperative cytologic examination. Material for cytologic examination was obtained using fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. Eighty-five (90.

[Improvement in the informativeness of diuretic kidney function scintigraphy by calculation of a washout index].

Diuresis renography after administration of 123I-(131I-)Hippuran of 248 patients (492 kidneys) were compared retrospectively with clinical findings, history, i.v. urography, and ultrasound examinations.

A fourteen year practice with the fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid in an endemic area.

In our institute from 1970 to 1983 12,829 fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNB) of the thyroid were cytologically examined. Cytologically unsatisfactory specimens were found in 17.7%.

[Prevention and therapy of accidental radionuclide uptake].

After accidental incorporation of radionuclides in the organism uptake in the whole-body and in critical organs can be either reduced or blocked (prevention) by appropriate medication and behaviour. Effective half-lives after incorporation in critical organs can be shortened (therapy). For different fallout-radionuclides a variety of preparations exists for such purposes.

[Differentiated thyroid carcinoma in an endemic area. Clinical aspects, prognosis, therapeutic considerations].

A retrospective analysis was undertaken of 179 cases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (89 follicular and 90 papillary; first operations 1952-1977). At the time of the diagnosis there was no significant difference between the two types of malignancy as to age, sex, stage of tumour and degree of local radical operation. Nor was there any difference as to clinical course, but for papillary carcinoma the recurrence rate was higher and the survival time significantly shorter.

Early surgery in the management of pediatric blunt renal trauma.

Of 40 children with major blunt renal injuries managed surgically 30 (75 per cent) could be followed up to 13 years postoperatively (mean 4.5 years). Measurements of renal size on sequential excretory urograms demonstrated normal growth of the traumatized kidney in all but 1 child.

[Value and indication for isotope reflux cystography in children].

65 children with recurrent urinary infections were investigated by a reflux-cystography method, using 99mTc labelled millimicrospheres. Our results show that this method allows a clinically sufficient diagnosis of reflux. The radiation exposure of the patient is 50-200 times less than the established reference method (X-ray refluxcystography).

[Early diagnosis of thyroid cancer in endemic goitre area reflections and management based on the epidemiological situation in Tyrol (author's transl)].

Until recently the prognosis of thyroid cancer has been poor in this endemic goitre area due to the predominance of aggressive tumour types and belated diagnosis of the carcinoma. Iodine prophylaxis has changed this epidemiological profile: the mortality of goitre has generally decreased and there has been a relative increase in differentiated carcinomas. Preoperative diagnosis and operability have been favourably influenced by this new situation.

[Stepwise combination of skeletal scintigram and x-rays in the improvement and rationalisation of skeletal metastases detection (author's transl)].

Skeletal scintigraphy with 99mTc phosphate complexes allows the early detection of sites of pathological activity in bones. High sensitivity of this procedure (93%) contrasts with low specificity (59%). Scintigraphically-located sites are uncharacteristic and can imply various diagnoses and require radiodiagnostic investigation.

[Adrenal scintigraphy-value and indications in adrenal disease].

Adrenal scintillation scanning is a very useful method in the diagnosis of steroid producing diseases of the adrenal glands. The diagnosis of bilateral hyperplasia and primary adenoma of the adrenal cortex in Cushing's syndrome and Conn's syndrome is possible by this non-invasive procedure. Morphological questions (e.

[Lymphocytic infiltrations in normal and pathological thyroid glands (so-called focal lymphocytic thyroiditis) (author's transl)].

A series of 1004 goitres removed surgically before (1959) and after (1970, 1975) the introduction of the iodine prophylaxis reveals an impressive increase in lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid gland parenchyma. So-called focal lymphocytic thyroiditis is closely associated with the functional state of the organ. Furthermore, there is an increase in focal thyroiditis, especially in younger persons, after the introduction of iodine prophylaxis.

[Functional examination findings after parietal pleurectomy in patients with recurrent of spontaneous pneumothorax (author's transl)].

Eight patients with recurrent of spontaneous pneumothorax were re-examined sixteen months or more after a total parietal pleurectomy had been carried out. This re-examination included: 1. Detailed case history with emphasis on physical performance; 2.