Summary: A 59-year-old male presented with an accidental thyroid mass in 2022. Ultrasound and CT scan showed a nodule 5.2 × 4.9 × 2.8 cm (EU-TIRADS 4) in the right lobe of the thyroid gland. Taking into account the results of the fine needle aspiration biopsy (Bethesda V), intrathyroid localization, and absence of clinical symptoms, a malignant tumor of the thyroid gland was suspected. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy using fluorescence angiography with indocyanine green, and two pairs of intact parathyroid glands were visualized in typical localization. Unexpected histological and immunohistochemistry examinations revealed parathyroid carcinoma. Due to the asymptomatic course of the disease and atypical localization of parathyroid tumor, primary hyperparathyroidism was not suspected before the surgery. The diagnosis of asymptomatic intrathyroid parathyroid cancer is a serious diagnostic challenge for a wide range of specialists. Learning points: Parathyroid cancer is a rare disease that may be asymptomatic. Intrathyroidal localization of parathyroid carcinoma is casuistic and challenging for diagnosis, and the treatment strategy is not well defined. Preoperative parathyroid hormone and serum calcium testing are recommended for patients with solid thyroid nodules (Bethesda IV–V).

Функциональное состояние эндокринной системы и минеральная плотность костной ткани в отдаленном периоде после комбинированного лечения злокачественных опухолей головного мозга в детском и молодом возрасте

Parathyroid cancer (PС) is a rare malignant neoplasm of the endocrine system, characterized by a severe course due to the development of life-threatening hypercalcemia. Despite a relatively high survival rate, recurrence occurs about half the time. The aggressive course of PС is associated with both local spread of the process and distant metastasis. With the exception of isolated cases, cytotoxic chemo- and radiotherapy are inefficacious, and treatment protocols have not been developed. Therefore the only effective way is the surgical removal of secondary lesions, which is not always technically feasible and is associated with a high risk of postoperative complications. The literature describes individual cases of successful use of targeted therapy, as well as immunotherapy in the form of therapeutic vaccination to induce an immune response against parathyroid hormone (PTH) and block immune checkpoint. A promising direction of study is the tumor immunoenvironment, which has both diagnostic and prognostic value in relation to the likelihood of the spread of the tumor process. In this review, we describe the main directions in the treatment of PC, including disseminated forms, the possibilities of immunotherapy will be considered in details.

Parathyroid cancer (PTC) is usually sporadic; however, it could be presented as a component of hereditary syndromes. The prevalence of PTC among patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is about 1% cases. The lack of reliable preoperative predictors significantly complicates the diagnosis of PTC. The clinical course is non-specific and in most cases is determined by severe hypercalcemia. The final diagnosis can only be made on the basis of invasive histopathologic features, while an analysis immunohistochemical (IHC) one can be used only as an additional method. Given the rarity the diagnosis of MEN1-related PTC a challenge. We present two clinical cases of patients with PTC and a verified heterozygous mutation in the MEN1 gene. The described cases demonstrate the complexity of morphological diagnosis for PTC, the heterogeneity of clinical manifestations in patients with the MEN1 mutation, as well as the need for timely screening to identify other components of MEN1 syndrome and mutations of the MEN1 gene among first-line relatives.

The obesity epidemic has led to the growing number of bariatric operations and the expansion of indications for this operation as the most effective method of treatment, that’s why endocrinologists are increasingly faced the challenge of late complications, including postbariatric hypoglycemia. Postbariatric hypoglycemia is a rare but severe metabolic disorder that occurs months or years after upper gastrointestinal surgery. Postbariatric hypoglycemia can be accompanied by severe clinical symptoms and lead to disability and decreasing of the life’s quality. It is difficult to assess the prevalence of hypoglycemia after bariatric surgery due to the lack of clear diagnostic criteria, often a hidden clinical picture and ignorance of doctors and patients about this complication. Hypoglycemia in this case has postprandial and hyperinsulinemic nature. The mechanisms of development of this complication have recently been actively discussed. The exchange of incretins and dysregulation of insulin secretion are the subject of constant research in this area. Understanding the mechanisms of development of this condition makes it possible to develop optimal methods of diagnosis and treatment. The issues of pathophysiology, basic principles of diagnosis and treatment of post-bariatric hypoglycemia will be considered in this review.

BACKGROUND: The glucagon test (GT) is a promising alternative to the insulin hypoglycemia test (IHT) in diagnosis of secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI). AIM: To study the feasibility of using the GT in patients after craniospinal irradiation and to determine the cut-off value to rule out SAI. METHODS: A total of 28 patients (14 males and 14 females) with the median age of 19 years (17; 23) who had undergone combination treatment (surgery, craniospinal irradiation (35 Gy) with boost to the tumor bed, and polychemotherapy) of extrapituitary brain tumors no later than 2 years before study initiation and 10 healthy volunteers of matching sex and age were examined. All the subjects underwent the GT and IHT with an interval of at least 57 days. The cortisol, ACTH, and glucose levels were measured. RESULTS: Twelve out of 28 patients were diagnosed with SAI according to the IHT results. ROC analysis revealed that cortisol release during the GT 499 nmol/L ruled out SAI [100% sensitivity (Se); 62% specificity (Sp)], while the absence of a rise 340 nmol/l verified SAI (Sp 100%; 55% Se). For GT, the area under a curve (AUC) was 93.6%, which corresponds to a very good diagnostic informativity. In 19 patients, the IHT and GT results were concordant (in ten patients, the release of cortisol occurred above the cut-off value in both tests; no release was detected in nine patients). In nine cases, the results were discordant: the maximum cortisol level detected in the GT was 500 nmol/l, but the IHT results ruled out SAI (the GT yielded a false positive outcome). Contrariwise, in three (10.7%) patients the release of cortisol detected in the GT was adequate, while being insufficient in the IHT test. Adverse events (nausea) were reported during the GT test in 9 (25%) subjects; one patient had hypoglycemia (1.8 mmol/l). CONCLUSION: GT is highly informative and can be used as a first-level stimulation test for ruling out SAI in patients exposed to craniospinal irradiation performed to manage brain tumors. The cortisol level of 500 nmol/L is the best cut-off value for ruling out SAI according to the GT results. The insulin hypoglycemia test is used as the second-level supporting test in patients with positive GT results.