Pulmonary blastoma (PB) is a rare form of lung tumour and is accountable for 0.25–0.5% of primary pulmonary malignancies. Initially pulmonary blastoma was divided into three subtypes: biphasic pulmonary blastoma (BPB) consisting of an epithelial and mesenchymal component, well differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma (WDFA) built of well differentiated epithelium and a mesenchymal component and malignant pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB). Prognosis in this type of cancer is really poor. We present a current review of literature and a clinical case report. Treatment of PB is very difficult. Data and recommendations about the treatment of pulmonary blastoma are still available therefore we should use only observations and clinical case reports.
Retrospective analysis of demographic and clinical data of all patients starting dialysis over two years in our Department (n = 105) has been conducted. Factors such as type of dialysis treatment, reason of end-stage renal disease, Body Mass Index (BMI), laboratory tests results, number and cause of death during first year of dialysis were taken under consideration. Five patients have been excluded from the analysis of mortality (four received renal transplantation, one changed dialysis center). Twenty tree deaths have been noted during first year of dialysis treatment. Nine of them occurred during the first three months of therapy. The leading cause of death was cardio-vascular events (n = 14, 60.9%), the second was malignancy (8, 34,8%), one patient died due to catheter associated infection. Malignancy as a cause of end-stage renal disease, lack of outpatient nephrology care, acute mode of beginning renal replacement therapy and lack of erythropoiesis stimulating agents therapy were associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality during first year of dialysis. Being under the outpatient nephrology care, etiology of ESRD other than malignancy and erythropoiesis stimulating agents therapy were independently associated with better survival during this period of time. Other independent variables did not reach statistical significance. To conclude, in order to improve one year survival of dialysis patients, outpatient nephrology care with adequate amount of visits and associated dialysis therapy should be employed.
Introduction: Non-iodine avid metastases of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) can be found using PET/CT with a fluorine-18-labeled glucose analog ([18F]FDG). There are ongoing discussions on the appropriateness of using exogenous thyrotropin (TSH) stimulation before this examination. Material and Methods: In a retrospective study, 73 PET/CT scans with [18F]FDG performed after exogenous stimulation with recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) and without such stimulation were analyzed. All analyzed patients were suspected of having non-iodine-avid foci of DTC. Results: The stimulation with rhTSH before the PET/CT did not affect the percentage of positive results: 37.5% (18/48) with rhTSH and 40% (10/25) without rhTSH (p = 0.83). The analysis of the ROC curves established the cut-off thyroglobulin point for a positive PET/CT result separately for both subgroups. There was no statistically significant difference between obtaining a positive PET/CT result and the baseline thyroglobulin concentration (both stimulated and unstimulated). The exogenous stimulation of TSH prior to the PET/CT had no effect on the [18F]FDG uptake in the PET/CT lesions. Conclusions: PET/CT with [18F]FDG remains a useful method for the diagnosis of non-iodine-avid DTC lesions; in the presented group, a positive effect of rhTSH stimulation on the number of DTC foci visible in the PET/CT was found, but without affecting its effectiveness.
Background: About 30% of patients with disseminated differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) may experience a loss of iodine uptake. It is associated with higher aggressiveness of the tumour and a reduced 10-year survival rate. The diagnosis of non-radioiodine avid DTC metastases remains a diagnostic challenge. A helpful technique for this diagnosis is positron emission tomography with 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (PET/CT with [18F]FDG). On the other hand, there are still discussions about the clinical value of using exogenous thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulation before PET/CT with [18F]FDG. The aim of the study was the assessment of the usefulness of PET/CT with [18F]FDG under TSH suppression and stimulation of TSH performed in the detection of non-radioiodine avid DTC metastases, as well as determination of the thyroglobulin concentration under suppression and stimulation of TSH, which influences the result of PET/CT with [18F]FDG in patients with non-radioiodine avid DTC. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of 37 PET/CT with [18F]FDG performed in patients with DTC diagnosed and treated at the Department of Endocrinology and Isotope Therapy of the Military Institute of Medicine from January 2018 to July 2020. Of these, PET/CT with [18F]FDG under exogenous rhTSH stimulation was performed in 22 patients and PET/CT with [18F]FDG under TSH suppression in 15 was performed. In all analyzed patients, the result of diagnostic whole-body scintigraphy (WBS) using 80 MBq 131I under rhTSH stimulation was negative, and the concentration of thyroglobulin after stimulation (sTg) was greater than 1.0 ng/mL. Results: In the group of patients examined under TSH suppression, non-radioiodine avid in PET/CT with [18F]FDG were found in 6 out of 15 patients (40%) and in the group of patients examined under rhTSH stimulation in 10 out of 22 patients (45%). The differences between the groups were not statistically significant. The analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves allowed to determine the cut-off point for the positive result of PET/CT performed under TSH suppression with sTg concentration of 11.03 ng/mL. In the group of studies performed under rhTSH stimulation, the cut-off point for sTg was 6.3 ng/mL. There was no statistically significant difference between the baseline thyroglobulin (natTg) and sTg levels and the positive PET/CT result. The administration of rhTSH before the PET/CT examination also had no statistically significant effect on the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the dominant lesion identified in the PET/CT. Conclusions: 1) PET/CT with [18F]FDG is a useful tool for detection of non-radioiodine avid recurrence and/or metastases of DTC. 2) The concentration of natTg and sTg is highly correlated with a positive result of PET/CT with [18F]FDG. 3) The concentration of natTg is comparable with sTg in predicting a positive result of PET/CT with [18F]FDG. 4) The cut-off point for a positive result of PET/CT for natTg was 1.36 ng/mL and for sTg was 7.05 ng/mL. Background: About 30% of patients with disseminated differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) may experience a loss of iodine uptake. It is associated with higher aggressiveness of the tumour and a reduced 10-year survival rate. The diagnosis of non-radioiodine avid DTC metastases remains a diagnostic challenge. A helpful technique for this diagnosis is positron emission tomography with 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (PET/CT with [18F]FDG). On the other hand, there are still discussions about the clinical value of using exogenous thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulation before PET/CT with [18F]FDG. The aim of the study was the assessment of the usefulness of PET/CT with [18F]FDG under TSH suppression and stimulation of TSH performed in the detection of non-radioiodine avid DTC metastases, as well as determination of the thyroglobulin concentration under suppression and stimulation of TSH, which influences the result of PET/CT with [18F]FDG in patients with non-radioiodine avid DTC. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of 37 PET/CT with [18F]FDG performed in patients with DTC diagnosed and treated at the Department of Endocrinology and Isotope Therapy of the Military Institute of Medicine from January 2018 to July 2020. Of these, PET/CT with [18F]FDG under exogenous rhTSH stimulation was performed in 22 patients and PET/CT with [18F]FDG under TSH suppression in 15 was performed. In all analyzed patients, the result of diagnostic whole-body scintigraphy (WBS) using 80 MBq 131I under rhTSH stimulation was negative, and the concentration of thyroglobulin after stimulation (sTg) was greater than 1.0 ng/mL. Results: In the group of patients examined under TSH suppression, non-radioiodine avid in PET/CT with [18F]FDG were found in 6 out of 15 patients (40%) and in the group of patients examined under rhTSH stimulation in 10 out of 22 patients (45%). The differences between the groups were not statistically significant. The analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves allowed to determine the cut-off point for the positive result of PET/CT performed under TSH suppression with sTg concentration of 11.03 ng/mL. In the group of studies performed under rhTSH stimulation, the cut-off point for sTg was 6.3 ng/mL. There was no statistically significant difference between the baseline thyroglobulin (natTg) and sTg levels and the positive PET/CT result. The administration of rhTSH before the PET/CT examination also had no statistically significant effect on the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the dominant lesion identified in the PET/CT. Conclusions: 1) PET/CT with [18F]FDG is a useful tool for detection of non-radioiodine avid recurrence and/or metastases of DTC. 2) The concentration of natTg and sTg is highly correlated with a positive result of PET/CT with [18F]FDG. 3) The concentration of natTg is comparable with sTg in predicting a positive result of PET/CT with [18F]FDG. 4) The cut-off point for a positive result of PET/CT for natTg was 1.36 ng/mL and for sTg was 7.05 ng/mL.
Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is caused by excessive hormone secretion from one or more parathyroid glands. Based on their morphological and immunophenotypic characteristics, parathyroid glands can be considered as neuroendocrine organs, and their neoplasms as neuroendocrine tumors. The 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumors introduced updated diagnostic criteria, advancing the understanding of parathyroid neoplasms. This study aimed to analyze the clinicopathological features of PHPT, emphasizing tumor localization and histopathological findings. Material and methods: The retrospective study analyzed 39 surgically treated patients for PHPT at a single tertiary referral center between 2022 and 2024. Localization methods included neck ultrasonography (US), technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography ([99mTc]Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT), and 18F-fluorocholine positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FCH PET/CT). Postoperative histopathological evaluation of specimens was conducted according to the 2022 WHO criteria. Results: The cohort comprised 85% female patients with a mean age of 57.8 years. Lower parathyroid glands were more frequently affected, reflecting their distinct embryological origins. Pathological analysis identified 77.5% parathyroid adenomas (PA), 12.5% atypical parathyroid tumors (APT), and 7.5% parathyroid carcinomas (PC), with the incidence of APT and PC exceeding reported ranges. PET/CT showed superior diagnostic accuracy (100% detection) compared to neck US (65.8%) and [99mTc]Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT (65.7%). Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) from PET/CT significantly correlated with serum calcium, PTH concentration, and lesion volume, suggesting their utility as markers of metabolic activity. Surgery achieved a 92.3% cure rate, with successful reoperations in all recurrent cases. Conclusions: The study underscores the neuroendocrine nature of parathyroid glands, highlights the diagnostic value of the updated WHO classification, and demonstrates the superior accuracy of 18F-FCH PET/CT in localizing parathyroid lesions. A deeper understanding of the neuroendocrine characteristics of parathyroid glands and their embryological migration patterns could further improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Early diagnosis and precise localization of affected parathyroid glands remain critical for achieving curative outcomes in PHPT. Keywords: primary hyperparathyroidism parathyroid adenoma atypical parathyroid tumor parathyroid carcinoma WHO classification neuroendocrine tumor
Background: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are neoplastic tumors developing in every part of the body, mainly in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. Their treatment involves the surgical removal of the tumor and its metastasis, long-acting somatostatin analogs, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and radioligand therapy (RLT). Materials and Methods: A total of 127 patients with progressive neuroendocrine neoplasms underwent RLT—4 courses, administered every 10 weeks—with the use of 7.4 GBq [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE or tandem therapy with 1.85 GBq [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE and 1.85 GBq [90Y]Y-DOTA-TATE. Assessment of short- and long-term complications, as well as the calculation of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were performed. Results: RLT caused a statistically but not clinically significant decrease in blood morphology parameters during both short- and long-term observations. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) significantly decreased only in a long-term observation after RLT; however, it was clinically acceptable. Computed predictions of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) indicated that five years post-RLT, there is a 74% chance of patients surviving, with only a 58.5% likelihood of disease progression. Conclusions: Computed predictions of PFS and OS confirmed treatment efficiency and good patient survival. RLT should be considered a safe and reliable line of treatment for patients with progressive NENs as it causes only a low number of low-grade adverse events.