Project description:BackgroundSecondary hyperparathyroidism is a common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease that requires vigilant treatment due to its high mortality rate. Pharmacologic therapy is recommended as an initial treatment; if there is no response, a total parathyroidectomy is performed. In some cases, surgery is accompanied by auto-transplantation of parathyroid tissue.Case presentationThe patient was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and received a kidney transplant. However, due to rejection of the transplanted kidney, medical nephrectomy was carried out and routine hemodialysis was initiated and observed. At this time, secondary hyperparathyroidism with elevated parathyroid hormone and hyperphosphatemia developed and pharmacologic treatment was applied. However, there was no response to pharmacologic treatment; therefore, total parathyroidectomy with auto-transplantation was performed. Eight years after surgery, a growing mass was observed in the transplantation site, accompanied by an elevation of parathyroid hormone. A complete resection of the mass was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with parathyroid carcinoma. Additional adjuvant radiation therapy was ordered, and the patient is being monitored.ConclusionsThis is a rare but remarkable case of parathyroid carcinoma arising from auto-transplanted parathyroid tissue after total parathyroidectomy in a patient with secondary hyperparathyroidism. We suggest caution should be taken when choosing to auto- transplant parathyroid tissue and that careful postoperative observation should be performed.
Project description:It has long been held that the parathyroid glands and parathyroid hormone evolved with the emergence of the tetrapods, reflecting a need for new controls on calcium homeostasis in terrestrial, rather than aquatic, environments. Developmentally, the parathyroid gland is derived from the pharyngeal pouch endoderm, and studies in mice have shown that its formation is under the control of a key regulatory gene, Gcm-2. We have used a phylogenetic analysis of Gcm-2 to probe the evolutionary origins of the parathyroid gland. We show that in chicks, as in mice, Gcm-2 is expressed in the pharyngeal pouches and the forming parathyroid gland. We find that Gcm-2 is present not only in tetrapods but also in teleosts and chondrichthyans, and that in these species, Gcm-2 is expressed within the pharyngeal pouches and internal gill buds that derive from them in zebrafish (Danio rerio), a teleost, and dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula), a chondrichthyan. We further demonstrate that Gcm-2 is required for the formation of the internal gill buds in zebrafish. We also have identified parathyroid hormone 1/2-encoding genes in fish and show that these genes are expressed by the gills. We further show that the gills express the calcium-sensing receptor, which is used in tetrapods to monitor serum calcium levels. These results indicate that the tetrapod parathyroid gland and the gills of fish are evolutionarily related structures, and that the parathyroid likely came into being as a result of the transformation of the gills during tetrapod evolution.
Project description:Several studies have reported on the use of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) measurements during parathyroidectomy (PTX) for renal hyperparathyroidism (rHPT), but there is no consensus on whether it is helpful and, if so, what protocol should be used. Therefore, the literature was systematically reviewed to assess a correlation between ioPTH and early postoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in patients undergoing PTX for rHPT, separately for those on dialysis and those with a functioning renal transplant. A systematic literature search was performed in electronic databases. Quality assessment was performed using the Quality In Prognosis Studies tool. Mean ioPTH values were calculated at different time points and correlated to the postoperative PTH levels within 1 month. Fixed-effect and random-effects models were performed to assess the mean ioPTH levels at 10 or 20 min after resection (T10 and T20). Stratified analyses were performed for patients on dialysis and those with a functioning renal transplant. Of the 3087 records screened, 14 studies were included, including some 1177 patients; 1091 were on dialysis and 86 had a functioning kidney transplant. Risk of bias was moderate for most studies. For patients on dialysis, T10 and T20 mean ioPTH levels were 32.1 (95 per cent c.i. 24.3 to 39.9) pmol/l and 15.4 (95 per cent c.i. 7.8 to 22.9) pmol/l) in the random effects meta-analysis. Between individual studies, ioPTH ranged from 4.0-65.1 pmol/l at T10 and 8.6-25.7 pmol/l at T20. T10 and T20 ioPTH were 9.6 and 4.1 times the postoperative PTH-after T20 ioPTH stabilized in those on dialysis. In patients with a functioning renal transplant, ioPTH levels seemed to plateau after 10 min and measured 2.6 times the postoperative PTH. There is a strong correlation between ioPTH and early postoperative PTH levels, indicating that ioPTH is potentially a useful instrument during PTX in patients with rHPT. For patients on dialysis, at T20 ioPTH levels have stabilized and are approximately four times the postoperative PTH. Therefore, it is recommended to use ioPTH 20 min after resection in patients on dialysis, which might be longer than necessary for those with a kidney transplant.
Project description:Accurate pre-operative determination of parathyroid glands localization is critical in the selection of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy as a surgical treatment approach in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Its importance cannot be overemphasized as it helps to minimize the harmful side effects associated with damage to the parathyroid glands such as in hypocalcemia, severe hemorrhage or recurrent laryngeal nerve dysfunction. Preoperative and intraoperative methods decrease the incidence of mistakenly injuring the parathyroid glands and allow for the timely diagnosis of various abnormalities, including parathyroid adenomas. This article reviews 139 studies conducted between 1970 and 2020 (49 years). Studies that were reviewed focused on several techniques including application of carbon nanoparticles, carbon nanoparticles with technetium sestamibi (99m Tc-MIBI), Raman spectroscopy, near-infrared autofluorescence, dynamic optical contrast imaging, laser speckle contrast imaging, shear wave elastography, and indocyanine green to test their potential in providing proper parathyroid glands' localization. Apart from reviewing the aforementioned techniques, this study focused on the applications that helped in the detection of parathyroid adenomas. Results suggest that applying all the reviewed techniques significantly improves the possibility of providing proper localization of parathyroid glands, and the application of indocyanine green has proven to be the 'ideal' approach for the diagnosis of parathyroid adenomas.
Project description:BackgroundPermanent hypoparathyroidism is a serious complication following total thyroidectomy plus central neck dissection (CND). How to evaluate the vascularization of the parathyroid gland in real time is a major concern of thyroid surgeons. This study aimed to evaluate the fine-needle pricking (FNP) test in predicting parathyroid gland function.MethodsThe FNP test was performed in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy plus CND between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019, to visualize the vascularization of the parathyroid glands. Patients were classified according to the number of parathyroid glands preserved in situ with excellent vascularity (PGPIEV) demonstrated by FNP: group 0 (without PGPIEV), group 1 (with one PGPIEV), group 2 (with two PGPIEV), group 3 (with three PGPIEV), and group 4 (with four PGPIEV).ResultsA total of 608 patients with four parathyroid glands underwent FNP testing during thyroidectomy. At least one PGPIEV was demonstrated by FNP testing in 581 patients who had intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels in the normal range after the operation. The prevalence of hypocalcemia decreased from 77.8% in group 0 to 9.8% in group 4 (P < 0.001), and the incidence of hypoparathyroidism decreased from 44.4% in group 0 to 0% in groups 1-4 (P < 0.001). iPTH concentrations on postoperative day 1 were positively correlated with PGPIEV groups (increased from 14.58 ng/l in group 0 to 45.22 ng/l in group 4, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe FNP test is a safe and reliable method to predict parathyroid function. One PGPIEV demonstrated by the FNP test rules out the possibility of patients developing hypoparathyroidism.
Project description:Glandular structural features are important for the tumor pathologist in the assessment of cancer malignancy of prostate tissue slides. The varying shapes and sizes of glands combined with the tedious manual observation task can result in inaccurate assessment. There are also discrepancies and low-level agreement among pathologists, especially in cases of Gleason pattern 3 and pattern 4 prostate adenocarcinoma. An automated gland segmentation system can highlight various glandular shapes and structures for further analysis by the pathologist. These objective highlighted patterns can help reduce the assessment variability. We propose an automated gland segmentation system. Forty-three hematoxylin and eosin-stained images were acquired from prostate cancer tissue slides and were manually annotated for gland, lumen, periacinar retraction clefting, and stroma regions. Our automated gland segmentation system was trained using these manual annotations. It identifies these regions using a combination of pixel and object-level classifiers by incorporating local and spatial information for consolidating pixel-level classification results into object-level segmentation. Experimental results show that our method outperforms various texture and gland structure-based gland segmentation algorithms in the literature. Our method has good performance and can be a promising tool to help decrease interobserver variability among pathologists.
Project description:The expression of several key molecules is altered in parathyroid tumors due to gene mutations, the loss of heterozygosity, and aberrant gene promoter methylation. A set of genes involved in parathyroid tumorigenesis has been investigated in sporadic parathyroid adenomas (PAds). Thirty-two fresh PAd tissue samples surgically removed from patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) were collected and profiled for gene, microRNA, and lncRNA expression (n = 27). Based on a gene set including MEN1, CDC73, GCM2, CASR, VDR, CCND1, and CDKN1B, the transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using a cluster analysis. The expression levels of CDC73 and CDKN1B were the main drivers for clusterization. The samples were separated into two main clusters, C1 and C2, with the latter including two subgroups of five PAds (C2A) and nineteen PAds (C2B), both differing from C1 in terms of their lower expression of CDC73 and CDKN1B. The C2A PAd profile was also associated with the loss of TP73, an increased expression of HAR1B, HOXA-AS2, and HOXA-AS3 lncRNAs, and a trend towards more severe PHPT compared to C1 and C2B PAds. C2B PAds were characterized by a general downregulated gene expression. Moreover, CCND1 levels were also reduced as well as the expression of the lncRNAs NEAT1 and VLDLR-AS1. Of note, the deregulated lncRNAs are predicted to interact with the histones H3K4 and H3K27. Patients harboring C2B PAds had lower ionized and total serum calcium levels, lower PTH levels, and smaller tumor sizes than patients harboring C2A PAds. In conclusion, PAds display heterogeneous transcriptomic profiles which may contribute to the modulation of clinical and biochemical features. The general downregulated gene expression, characterizing a subgroup of PAds, suggests the tumor cells behave as quiescent resting cells, while the severity of PHPT may be associated with the loss of p73 and the lncRNA-mediated deregulation of histones.
Project description:Major complications of thyroid and parathyroid surgery are recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries and definitive hypoparathyroidism. The use of intra-operative Indocyanine Green Angiography for confirmation of vascular status of the parathyroid gland is reported here.
Project description:ObjectiveHow to preserve the inferior parathyroid gland (IPTG) in situ during central neck dissection (CND) is the major concern of thyroid surgeons. The "layer of thymus-blood vessel-IPTG" (TBP layer) concept showed to be effective in preserving IPTG. The objective of this study was to identify the origin and course of blood supply to IPTG (IPBS) within the TBP layer and to take key points of operation during CND.DesignThis is a retrospective control study. Participants. Patients who underwent thyroidectomy plus CND using the TBP layer concept and conventional technique between 2017 and 2019 were enrolled. Measurements. The origin and course of IPBS in relation to recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and thymus and prevalence of hypoparathyroidism were detected.ResultsA total of 71.3% of IPTGs (251 of 352) were supplied by ITA branches, defined as type A. Type A was further divided into Types A1 (branches of ITA, coursing laterally to the RLN (53.1%, 187 of 352)) and A2 (branches of ITA, traversing medially to the RLN (18.2%, 64 of 352)). Type A2 was more common on the right side than on the left side (P < 0.001). Fifty-five (15.6%) IPTG feeding vessels originated from the thymus or mediastinum. Nineteen (5.4%) IPTGs were supplied by branches of the superior thyroid artery. The incidence of transient hypoparathyroidism decreased from 45.7% to 3.6% (P < 0.001), in the TBP layer group compared with the conventional technique group.ConclusionThe origin and course of IPBS follow a definite pattern. This mapping and precautions help surgeons optimize intraoperative manipulations for better preservation of IPBS during CND.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of genes expressed in normal parathyroid glands (Normal) and adenomatous parathyroid glands from patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Stratagen Human Refernece RNA, pooled from 10 human cell lines, was used to identify genes, which are specifically expressed or suppressed in parathyroid tissue. Comparison between normal and tumor parathyroids shows genes that might be involved in hyperproliferation and PTH hypersecretion in tumors.