Guidelines on radioiodine therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Aim: For the examination of the impact on clinical practice of the guidelines for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), treatment data from the ongoing Multicenter Study Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma (MSDS) were analyzed. Patients, methods: Patients were randomized to adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (RTx) or no RTx in addition to standard therapy in TNM stages pT4 pN0/1/x M0/x (UICC, 5th ed. 1997). All patients were to receive the same treatment regimen consisting of thyroidectomy, ablative radioiodine therapy (RIT), and a diagnostic 131I whole-body scintigraphy (WBS) 3-4 months after RIT. Results: Of 339 eligible patients enrolled between January 2000 and March 2004, 273 could be analyzed. Guideline recommendations by the German Society for Nuclear Medicine from 1999 and 1992 were complied with within 28% and 82% with regard to the interval between surgery and RIT (4 vs. 4–6 weeks), in 33% and 84% with regard to 131I activity for RIT (1-3 vs. 1-4 GBq; ± 10%), and in 16% and 60% with regard to 131I activity for WBS (15319-300 vs. 15319-400 MBq; ± 10%). Conclusions: The 1999 guideline revision appears to have had little impact on clinical practice. Further follow-up will reveal if guideline compliance had an effect on outcomes.

Radiosynovectomy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of the elbow

The Aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficiacy of radiosynovectomy (RSO) in patients with rheumatoid elbow arthritis. Patients and Methods: 40 joints of 31 patients were evaluated. At the time of therapy, patients had been suffering from elbow arthritis for 17.5 months (2-72 months). 95% of the joints (n = 38) had severe dally pain or continuous pain, 97.5% (n = 39) had moderate to severe limitation of the mobility and 10% (n = 4) had severe swelling. RSO was performed by intraarticular injection of 74 MBq colloidal rhenium-l 86 and 15 mg triamcinolonehex-acetonide. Before and six to 26 months after therapy (median follow-up 14.7 months) severity of the patients pain, mobility and swelling (transferred to a scoring system) were determined with a standardised questional. A clinical re-evaluation, along with an ar-throsonographical follow-up was performed in 28 joints. Results: A “good to very good” overall long-term response was achieved in 80% (n = 32) of the treated joints and a temporary response in 10% (n = 4). Only 10% (n = 4) had a non-satisfactory response due to advanced articular destruction. The range of motion for flexion-extension increased from 103.8 ± 20.0 degrees to 144.0 ±12.8 degrees (p <0.001). The respective scores for articular pain, impaired mobility and swelling decreased significantly (pain from 3.15 to 0.82, impaired mobility from 3.15 to 0.82, swelling from 2.40 to 0.65; p <0.00U. No deterioration or complication occurred. The effects lasted throughout the entire follow-up time for 36 joints (90%). Conclusion: For patients with rheumatoid involvement of the elbow joint, radiosynovectomy results in a significant decrease of articular pain and improvement of objective parameter, i.e. joint mobility. Thus, radiosynovectomy represents a feasible and effective therapeutic option for elbow arthritis.

Guidelines on radioiodine therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma: impact on clinical practice

AIM

For the examination of the impact on clinical practice of the guidelines for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), treatment data from the ongoing Multicenter Study Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma (MSDS) were analyzed.

PATIENTS, METHODS

Patients were randomized to adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (RTx) or no RTx in addition to standard therapy in TNM stages pT4 pN0/1/x M0/x (UICC, 5th ed. 1997). All patients were to receive the same treatment regimen consisting of thyroidectomy, ablative radioiodine therapy (RIT), and a diagnostic 131I whole-body scintigraphy (WBS) 3-4 months after RIT.

RESULTS

Of 339 eligible patients enrolled between January 2000 and March 2004, 273 could be analyzed. Guideline recommendations by the German Society for Nuclear Medicine from 1999 and 1992 were complied with within 28% and 82% with regard to the interval between surgery and RIT (4 vs. 4-6 weeks), in 33% and 84% with regard to 131I activity for RIT (1-3 vs. 1-4 GBq; +/- 10%), and in 16% and 60% with regard to 131I activity for WBS (100-300 vs. 100-400 MBq; +/- 10%).

CONCLUSIONS

The 1999 guideline revision appears to have had little impact on clinical practice. Further follow-up will reveal if guideline compliance had an effect on outcomes.

[Radiosynovectomy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of the elbow joint]

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of radiosynovectomy (RSO) in patients with rheumatoid elbow arthritis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

40 joints of 31 patients were evaluated. At the time of therapy, patients had been suffering from elbow arthritis for 17.5 months (2-72 months). 95% of the joints (n = 38) had severe daily pain or continuous pain, 97.5% (n = 39) had moderate to severe limitation of the mobility and 10% (n = 4) had severe swelling. RSO was performed by intraarticulär injection of 74 MBq colloidal rhenium-186 and 15 mg triamcinolonehexacetonide. Before and six to 26 months after therapy (median follow-up 14.7 months) severity of the patients pain, mobility and swelling (transferred to a scoring system) were determined with a standardised questionnaire. A clinical re-evaluation, along with an orthrosonographical follow-up was performed in 28 joints.

RESULTS

A "good to very good" overall long-term response was achieved in 80% (n = 32) of the treated joints and a temporary response in 10% (n = 4). Only 10% (n = 4) had a non-satisfactory response due to advanced articular destruction. The range of motion for flexion-extension increased from 103.8 +/- 20.0 degrees to 144.0 +/- 12.8 degrees (p < 0.001). The respective scores for articular pain, impaired mobility and swelling decreased significantly (pain from 3.15 to 0.82, impaired mobility from 3.15 to 0.82, swelling from 2.40 to 0.65; p < 0.001). No deterioration or complication occurred. The effects lasted throughout the entire follow-up time for 36 joints (90%).

CONCLUSION

For patients with rheumatoid involvement of the elbow joint, radiosynovectomy results in a significant decrease of articular pain and improvement of objective parameter, i.e. joint mobility. Thus, radiosynovectomy represents a feasible and effective therapeutic option for elbow arthritis.

Somatostatin receptor imaging in persistent medullary thyroid carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Somatostatin is secreted from thyroid C-cells and seems to play an important part in the regulation of calcitonin secretion. We therefore evaluated the usefulness of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in the localization of tumour tissue in patients with persistent medullary thyroid carcinoma.

DESIGN

A prospective clinical study.

PATIENTS

The series consisted of 26 patients with elevated calcitonin levels after total thyroidectomy for histologically proven medullary thyroid carcinoma.

METHODS

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy using 111In-pentetreotide (Octreoscan) was performed in all patients and the results correlated with histology, ultrasonography, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, plain radiography, bone scintigraphy and selective venous catheterization. Calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were measured.

RESULTS

The sensitivity of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy for localization of persistent medullary thyroid carcinoma was 57% in patients with histologically proven disease. The results depended on tumour mass (low sensitivity (33%) in minimal residual disease) and on the location of metastases (insensitive in detecting liver metastases).

CONCLUSIONS

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy is of value as an additional diagnostic tool in localizing medullary thyroid carcinoma, especially pulmonary metastases. It is of minor importance in detecting minimal residual disease.

Successful interferon-alpha 2 a therapy for a patient with acute mumps orchitis

Involvement of one or both gonads in postpuberty mumps is common and can often lead to infertility. Our report discusses the course of disease of a patient with acute mumps orchitis. Only 2 days after administration of interferon, clinical symptoms had drastically improved, and the infection subsided without any after-effects. We therefore recommend immediate interferon therapy, as soon as postpuberty mumps manifests, to prevent testicular atrophy and resulting infertility.

Ectopic ACTH secretion due to a bronchopulmonary carcinoid localized by somatostatin receptor scintigraphy

We present the case of a 65-year-old woman with an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secreting bronchopulmonary carcinoid. This patient showed the typical long history of Cushing's syndrome, including hypokaliemia, impaired glucose tolerance, high levels of ACTH and beta-endorphin, and coproduction of other peptides. At the onset of clinical symptoms in 1979 an adrenal adenoma was suspected, and left-sided adrenalectomy was performed. The symptoms soon recurred, and the diagnosis of ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome was made. As no ACTH-secreting tumor was found, the right adrenal was resected, and the patient was followed up regularly. Fourteen years later chest roentgenography and computed tomography revealed a para-aortic pulmonary lesion, which was suspicious for a bronchopulmonary carcinoid. ACTH and beta-endorphin were excessively, pancreatic polypeptide slightly elevated at that time. The final diagnosis was made using somatostatin receptor scintigraphy which confirmed the hormonal activity of the suspicious lesion; no additional focus was found. This method turned out to be not only a useful additional localization technique but also a promising tool for characterization and staging of a suspected ACTH-producing carcinoid. The tumor was resected curatively, and the diagnosis was confirmed histologically.

[Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in the primary diagnosis and follow-up care of gastrinoma]

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) was performed in 14 patients (five men, nine women; mean age 51.5 [20-71] years) with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES), a gastrinoma proven in 7 and suspected on clinical or biochemical grounds in 7. The results were compared with those obtained by other methods (ultrasound, computed tomography, angiography). All 12 known tumour manifestations were demonstrated by SRS in seven patients with histologically confirmed gastrinoma. In four patients previously non-localized tumour was revealed by SRS, while in seven other patients the procedure led to modification of the treatment (primary tumour resection: n = 3, resection of metastases: n = 2, percutaneous radiation or chemoembolization: one each). These results suggest the following indications for SRS: (1) staging or re-staging in histologically proven gastrinoma and (2) search for primary tumour in clinically and biochemically suspected ZES.

The potential value of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in medullary thyroid carcinoma

In a prospective study, ten patients with recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma (markedly elevated calcitonin levels) were investigated by means of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) with 111Inpentetreotide. Scintigraphically, 30 sites of pathological uptake were found, mostly located in the neck and upper mediastinum. So far, 18 suspected tumour sites underwent histological examination and 14 of them could be verified as metastases of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The remaining four putative tumour lesions turned out to be false positive scintigraphic findings caused by chronic inflammation and somatostatin receptor positive tumours other than MTC. We conclude that SRS is a promising imaging modality for localization of MTC recurrence and may thus make a contribution to better management of this patient group.

Improved visualization of carcinoid liver metastases by indium-111 pentetreotide scintigraphy following treatment with cold somatostatin analogue

Five patients with hepatic metastases of midgut carcinoid underwent somatostatin receptor scintigraphy with indium-111 pentetreotide before and during treatment with octreotide. Octreotide treatment changed the biodistribution of 111In-pentetreotide significantly. Whereas the radioactivity in liver, spleen and kidney decreased, hepatic metastases showed increased contrast. In one patient, liver metastases could only be detected during octreotide treatment. These data suggest that the diagnostic reliability of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in carcinoid liver metastases is not necessarily compromised by octreotide therapy. Because of different biodistributions, the detection of liver metastases may even be improved during octreotide therapy.

[Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. A new imaging procedure for the specific demonstration of carcinoids of the small intestine]

Scintigraphy with a radiolabelled somatostatin analog represents a new highly specific approach in the diagnostic work-up of receptor-positive APUD tumours and their metastases. We present our preliminary results with somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in 15 patients with histologically proven midgut carcinoid. 5 out of 6 primary tumour sites (83%) and 90% of the known metastatic lesions could be detected; unknown metastatic lesions were seen in 5 patients. Compared with other nuclear medicine procedures somatostatin receptor scintigraphy is able to detect all tumour sites within hours. This advantage will promote the acceptance of this sensitive and specific imaging modality by the clinicians with regard to preoperative work-up and symptomatic therapy with a somatostatin analog.

[Atypical scintigraphic appearance of an osteosarcoma. An explanation using x-ray and histologic findings]

In a 10-year old girl with a telangiectasic osteosarcoma of the proximal right tibia, sequential bone scintigraphy with 99mTc-DPD showed the tumor as an atypical photopenic lesion in the osseous phase. Considering conventional radiographs, angiographic features and histologic aspects, possible explanations for this unusual finding are discussed.

Atypisches szintigraphisches Erscheinungsbild eines Osteosarkoms

Ein 10 Jahre altes Mädchen mit einem teleangiektatischen Osteosarkom der rechten proximalen Tibia wird vorgestellt. Bei der prätherapeutisch durchgeführten 3-Phasen-Skelettszintigraphie stellte sich die Tumorregion in der ossären Phase als photopenische Läsion dar. Unter Berücksichtigung der röntgenologischen, angiographischen und histologischen Charakteristika dieses Tumortyps wird eine mögliche Erklärung des szintigraphisch atypischen Befundes versucht.

Cancer pain management according to WHO analgesic guidelines

On admission to a pain management unit, 92.5% of 174 cancer patients suffered from more than moderate pain despite prior treatment. This inefficacy was mainly due to underdosage of drugs, inadequate intake schedule, and hesitation to use strong opioids. Following introduction of an oral drug therapy based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, more than 80% of all patients described their pain as ranging between "none" and "moderate" on a six-step verbal rating scale at all times. To obtain these results, it was necessary to adapt the therapy to increasing pain in the course of terminal disease. Step III (strong opioids) gained more and more importance with time, and step I (nonopioids) was finally useful only in a minority of patients. Side effects played a minor role as a reason to change therapy. Oral drug therapy following these guidelines led to sufficient pain control in most patients over the whole study period (7,400 days); only 11% of the patients required other methods of pain management.

[Perthes' disease. Accuracy potentials and the value of sonography]

During a 2-year period 59 patients underwent sonography, 33 of them with confirmed Legg-Perthes disease and 26 in whom clinical examination had given rise to suspicion of this disorder. An intraarticular effusion was found in 53% (n = 26) of the patients and characteristic sonographic findings could be detected in 84% (n = 41). The special examination technique and the diagnostic criteria and their validity and correlation to radiologic abnormalities are discussed.

[The painful hip--diagnostic possibilities of sonography]

205 patients with a painful hip joint have been investigated prospectively. The examination technique and the sonoanatomy of the hip joint are illustrated. An intraarticular effusion could be detected in 105 patients. Depending on the aetiology and the duration of disease, different echostructures of the fluid collections were noted. Additionally, the reaction of the synovia and of the articular capsule allowed the discrimination of transient synovitis and septic arthritis. Extraarticular alterations were found in 11, changes of the bone contour in 40 patients (osteomyelitis, slipping femoral epiphysis, or Perthes-Calvé disease). Sonography is recommended as method of choice in excluding, confirming and differentiating intraarticular effusions. Intra- and periarticular affections can be distinguished safely. Bone alterations may be detectable as well.

Pediatric spinal sonography. Part II: Malformations and mass lesions

The most important spinal disorders in childhood are malformations and mass lesions. The sonographic appearance of the various kinds of dysraphism and their differentiation, of malformations at the cranio-cervical junction, and of mass lesions is demonstrated and illustrated. Based on our preliminary experience, spinal sonography appears to be useful as the first imaging device for the differentiation of complex malformations and as a screening method for occult dysraphism. In mass lesions spinal sonography is useful to diagnose and follow-up disease, with additional imaging procedures currently needed for confirmation of diagnosis.

Pediatric spinal sonography. Part I: Anatomy and examination technique

Ultrasonography with high resolution technique enables the differentiation of intra- and paraspinal structures in a significant way. Conditions, examination technique, and sonographic anatomy of the os sacrum, the lumbar and dorsal spinal canal as well as the cranio-cervical junction are presented.

Ultrasonography of the painful hip. Prospective studies in 204 patients

A total number of 204 patients presenting with an acutely or subacutely painful hip joint were investigated in two prospective studies. Intraarticular fluid collections were detected in 104 patients. The joint effusions showed different echopatterns depending on etiology and duration of disease. Additional diagnostic criteria such as synovial hypertrophy and thickening of the articular capsule allowed the distinction between transient synovitis and septic arthritis. Bony changes were encountered in 40 patients with osteomyelitis, slipping femoral epiphysis or Perthes-Calvé disease. Ultrasonography is recommended as method of choice in detecting, excluding and differentiating of joint effusions.

Ultrasonography of hip joint effusions

In order to evaluate ultrasonography in patients with suspected hip joint effusions, 123 consecutive patients were examined prospectively. Twenty healthy subjects were used as a control group. The normal sonoanatomy, the recommended scanning approach, and the diagnostic features of intra-articular joint effusions are presented. Even minor fluid collections of 1 or 2 ml could be accurately detected. Transient synovitis and fresh hemorrhagic effusions proved to be echofree, whereas clotted hemorrhagic collections or septic arthritis showed non-echofree effusions. Based on intraoperative and computed tomography (CT) data, ultrasonography is clearly superior to X-ray films in detecting joint effusions. A negative sonogram will exclude a fluid collection; the depiction of an echofree effusion will virtually rule out septic arthritis. The use of additional imaging techniques can be reduced greatly, as ultrasonography seems to be an improved method for the early diagnosis of septic arthritis.

Sonography of slipped humeral epiphysis due to birth injury

Sonographical diagnosis of slipped epiphysis of the proximal humerus is reported in a newborn with birth traumatic etiology. In these rare conditions sonography is recommended as method of choice.

[Spinal sonography in childhood. Indications and value in abnormalities and space-occupying lesions]

Conditions, examination technique, and sonographic anatomy of the spinal canal are presented. The sonographical appearance of various kinds of dysraphism and their differentiation, of malformations at the cranio-cervical junction and of mass lesions is demonstrated and illustrated. Based on our preliminary experience spinal sonography appears to be useful as first imaging device for the differentiation of complex malformations, and as screening method for occult dysraphism. In case of mass lesions spinal sonography is suitable to diagnose and follow up disease although additional imaging procedures are currently needed for the confirmation of the diagnosis.

[Clinical picture of partial monosomy of chromosome 11 q]

A ten months old male infant was found to have a de-novo-deletion of the long arm of chromosome 11 (q23----qter). With regard to previous reports the combination of the following signs seems to be pathognomonic for partial monosomy of the long arm of chromosome 11: trigonocephaly, abnormal palpebral fissure, epicanthus, broad and depressed nasal bridge, carp shaped mouth, low-set malformed ears and statomotoric retardation. Cerebral atrophy, BNS-seizures, hypsarrhythmia and persistent leukocytopenia have not yet been described. Three distinct types of severity and probably correlated prognosis seem to exist.