Struma ovarii are rare ovarian tumors, of monodermal germ cell origin, containing predominantly thyroid tissue. They are typically benign unilateral pelvic masses. Among the rare cases of malignancy, the most common histological type is that of the papillary carcinoma. A definite preoperative diagnosis of these tumors is difficult to achieve since most imaging findings are generally nonspecific. A rare exception is the case of synchronous abnormal thyroid blood tests where an ovarian teratoma should be highly suspected, especially when no pathology of the thyroid gland coexists. Surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment. Taking into account that struma ovarii are mainly encountered in patients of a childbearing age, a conservative surgical approach is a reasonable option. We present the case of a 56-year-old woman who was diagnosed with both a primary and recurrent struma ovarii while investigating the incidental finding of elevated blood laboratory levels of the thyroglobulin (Tg).

Translational perspective: Ischemic heart disease remains a major medical problem with high mortality rates. Beside the great efforts devoted to research worldwide and the use of numerous experimental models, an absolute understanding of myocardial infarction and tissue loss has not yet been achieved. Furthermore, the regeneration of myocardial tissue and the improvement of myocardial activity after ischemia is one of the major areas of interest in the medical (and especially cardiovascular) community. In a novel experimental rat model, the beneficial effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (MSCT) in a surgically induced ischemic myocardium was documented. From a clinical perspective, this work supports the surgical administration of MSCT in the infarcted area during coronary artery bypass surgery. Aims: The regeneration of myocardial tissue and the improvement of myocardial activity after ischemia is one of the major areas of interest in cardiovascular research. We developed a novel experimental rat model and used it to examine the effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (MSCT) on myocardial ischemia evaluated by SPECT-CT and immunohistochemistry. Methods and results: An open thoracotomy took place for forty adult female Wistar rats with (n = 30) or without (n = 10) surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in order to cause myocardial ischemia. Myocardial viability was evaluated via SPECT/CT 7 days before surgery, as well as at 7 and 14 days post-surgery. At day 0, 15 animals received homologous stem cells injected at the ischemic myocardium area. A SPECT/CT evaluation showed decreased activity of the myocardial cells in the left ventricle one week post-infarction. Regeneration of the ischemic myocardium fifteen days post-infarction was recorded only in animals subjected to stem cell transplantation. These findings were also confirmed by histology and immunohistochemical analysis, with the significantly higher expression of GATA4 and Nkx2.5. Conclusions: The positive effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in the ischemic myocardium was recorded. The application of SPECT-CT allowed a clear evaluation of both the quality and quantity of the living myocardium post-infarction, leading to a new approach in the research of cardiovascular diseases. From a clinical perspective, MSCT may be beneficial when accompanied by myocardial revascularization procedures.

Background/Aim: Myocardial infarction, an acute medical situation with a high mortality rate worldwide, has been extensively studied in modern cardiovascular research, using different experimental models. However, a deep understanding of myocardial activity loss has not been fully investigated. We have developed a novel experimental rat model for noninvasive assessment of myocardial ischemia based on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT), in order to further understand and evaluate myocardial activity before and after surgical induction of myocardial ischemia. Materials and Methods: Thirty adult female Wistar rats underwent open thoracotomy with (n=20) or without (n=10) surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). The myocardial ischemia was confirmed with ECG and myocardial viability was evaluated via SPECT/CT at 7 days before as well as at 7 and 14 days post-surgery, after which animals were sacrificed and myocardial ischemic injury was further assessed histologically. Results: All animals were evaluated with anatomical and functional criteria based on the SPECT/CT imaging results. A successful surgical technique causing ischemia and loss of myocardial function in all animals undergoing a LAD ligation was established. Furthermore, evaluation of the viable myocardium with SPECT/CT confirmed the reduction of functional myocardial cells of the left ventricle post-infarction, which was also documented histologically. Conclusion: Using our technique, the validity of this animal model to induce and evaluate myocardial ischemia was demonstrated. Our choice to apply SPECT-CT qualitative and quantitative evaluation of myocardial function leads to a new approach in experimentation with an anticipated significant impact in the ongoing cardiovascular laboratory research.

: Aims: Regeneration of myocardial tissue and improvement of myocardial activity after ischemia is one of the major fields of interest in cardiovascular research. We have developed a novel experimental rat model, and used it to examine the effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (MSCT) on myocardial ischemia evaluated by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and immunohistochemistry. Methods and results: Forty adult female Wistar rats underwent open thoracotomy with (n=30) or without (n=10) surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), to create myocardial ischemia, which was confirmed with ECG. Myocardial viability was evaluated via SPECT/CT at 7 days before as well as at 7 and 14 days post-surgery. At day 0, 15 animals received homologous stem cells injected at the ischemic myocardium area. SPECT/CT evaluation confirmed the reduction of functional myocardial cells of the left ventricle one week post-infarction. Regeneration of the ischemic myocardium fifteen days post infarction was recorded, only in animals submitted to stem cell transplantation. Findings were also confirmed by histology and immunohistochemical analysis, with significant higher expression of GATA4 and Nkx2,5. Conclusion: The positive effect of mesenchymal stem cells transplantation in the ischemic myocardium was recorded. The application of SPECT- CT qualitative and quantitative evaluation of myocardial function may lead to a new approach in experimentation with an anticipated significant impact in the ongoing cardiovascular laboratory research. In clinical perspective, MSCT may be beneficial when accompanied with myocardial revascularization procedures.