Tumour size predicts risk of recurrence in tall cell subtype papillary thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The tall cell subtype of papillary thyroid cancer (TCPTC) is the most common aggressive subtype and often treated aggressively. This approach may not be necessary in smaller tumours without adverse histological characteristics.

METHODS

97 patients with TCPTC defined as a height-to-width ratio of ≥3:1 and at least 30% tall cells were compared against 390 classical papillary thyroid carcinoma (CPTC) based on tumour size with recurrence free survival (RFS) as the primary outcome.

RESULTS

TCPTC are more likely to present with adverse histological characteristics. In smaller tumours (<2 ​cm), only central lymph node metastasis (HR7.16 p ​= ​0.03) and multifocality (HR10.11 p ​= ​0.026) increased recurrence risk. In larger tumours, TCPTC histology (HR3.78 p ​= ​0.002), lymphovascular invasion (HR3.02 p ​= ​0.014) and central lymph node metastasis (HR3.24 p ​< ​0.001) significantly increased recurrence risk.

CONCLUSION

TCPTC tumours <2 ​cm without central lymph node metastasis and multifocality are similar in risk of recurrence to classical PTC and could be managed with lobectomy.

The Impact of Obesity on Mortality and Complications in Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy

Background Obesity is a global epidemic. It influences surgical technique, ergonomics, safety, and outcomes. However, there is a paucity of evidence of obesity-related impact in posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (PRA). This study compared perioperative outcomes of obese and non-obese participants undergoing PRA. Methodology  This is a multi-center retrospective cohort study of elective PRA from March 2014 to December 2022. Patient demographics, surgical techniques, clinicopathological parameters, and outcomes, including overall complication rate, were analyzed using SPSS version 27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results Seventy-five patients underwent a PRA, of which 97.3% were completed retroperitoneoscopically. The overall complication rate was (9.3%), and on subgroup analysis, the obese cohort had a lower percentage complication profile at 6.5%. Male participants comprised 52%, with a median age of 55 (IQR=19). The median BMI was 29.0 (IQR=8), of which 41% were obese, and 40% were overweight. Univariate analysis showed that being obese was not significantly associated with a higher complication rate (p=0.471). In addition, there was no significant increase in conversion (p=0.508), bleeding/transfusion (p=0.508), surgical site infection (SSI; p=1.000), incisional hernia (p=1.000), ICU or high dependency unit admission (p=0.292) and any-cause mortality (p=1.000). No sentinel deaths directly related to PRA were recorded. Procedure duration was longer in obese (117 mins) vs. non-obese participants (88.9 mins, p=0.022). However, there was no significant difference in the length-of-hospital stay (p=0.592). The cohort conversion rate was (2.7%), and tumor size was associated with a higher conversion rate (35.4 vs. 62.5mm, p=0.040). Conclusion Posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy can be a safe procedure in obese populations, and obesity does not increase perioperative morbidity or mortality.

Biomedical device innovation methodology: applications in biophotonics

The process of medical device innovation involves an iterative method that focuses on designing innovative, device-oriented solutions that address unmet clinical needs. This process has been applied to the field of biophotonics with many notable successes. Device innovation begins with identifying an unmet clinical need and evaluating this need through a variety of lenses, including currently existing solutions for the need, stakeholders who are interested in the need, and the market that will support an innovative solution. Only once the clinical need is understood in detail can the invention process begin. The ideation phase often involves multiple levels of brainstorming and prototyping with the aim of addressing technical and clinical questions early and in a cost-efficient manner. Once potential solutions are found, they are tested against a number of known translational factors, including intellectual property, regulatory, and reimbursement landscapes. Only when the solution matches the clinical need, the next phase of building a "to market" strategy should begin. Most aspects of the innovation process can be conducted relatively quickly and without significant capital expense. This white paper focuses on key points of the medical device innovation method and how the field of biophotonics has been applied within this framework to generate clinical and commercial success.

Single surgeon experience with bilayer polypropylene mesh repair of inguinal hernia

BACKGROUND

Open mesh repair of inguinal hernia has been shown to be an effective and safe method of hernia repair. In search of the 'ideal' method of open mesh hernia repair, many different methods of mesh placement have been developed. Laparoscopic hernia repair is reported to be superior to open repair in terms of postoperative pain and rehabilitation. These improved functional outcomes could be the result of placement of mesh in the preperitoneal space (underlay), rather than the laparoscopic method per se. A bilayer polypropylene mesh implant has been developed that provides onlay and underlay (preperitoneal) mesh layers. The present study reports the singular experience of a general surgeon with this bilayer polypropylene mesh implant.

METHODS

A retrospective audit of the first 169 consecutive inguinal hernia repairs was conducted by mailed questionnaire and telephone interview. Data was collected on patient demographics, postoperative pain scores and complications. Patients with potential recurrences at the time of follow up were invited for clinical review.

RESULTS

One hundred and three patients (71%) participated in the audit. Thirteen per cent of cases were for recurrent hernia. Median age was 60 years (range 21-99). Median length of follow up was 19 months (range 8-27). No recurrences were detected in the patients who underwent primary repair of inguinal hernia.

CONCLUSION

Inguinal hernia repair with bilayer polypropylene mesh is safe and has low complication and recurrence rates.

Cardiac angiosarcoma: Too little known, too late treatment or just too bad a tumour?

Cardiac angiosarcoma is a rare tumour. Current imaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging, MRI; computed axial tomography, CAT; 2-D echocardiography), although useful in delineating the extent of tumour involvement, do not correlate well with intraoperative findings of resectability. We report a case were palliative surgical resection was technically possible, contrary to expectations from CAT and MRI findings. However, the patient was clinically in extremis, with advanced ventricular dysfunction, and died. Despite the short-term risk involved in surgery, if palliative resection is possible, a multidisciplinary approach with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation can result in mid-term survival.

Modelling circadian variation in the pharmacokinetics of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

A one-compartment model with first-order absorption has provided good fits to five sets of indomethacin data and four sets of ketoprofen data taken at different times of day. There was substantial variation in the model parameters with time of administration and most of the features of this variation applied equally to both drugs. From the data examined, the source of variation appears to be mainly in the absorption phase and this was confirmed using a chronokinetic analysis, in which simultaneous fits were obtained with time-variant rate parameters. However, there may also be circadian variation in protein binding. The danger of quoting parameter values for either of these two drugs based on administration at a single time of day has been illustrated, and this may well be true for other drugs.