Pregnancy outcome after treatment with radioiodine for differentiated thyroid carcinoma

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of radioiodine (RAI) therapy on pregnancies and the health status of children born to mothers who had received therapeutic doses of I-131 for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Gestational histories of 76 women treated for DTC from 1971-2005 were retrospectively analyzed. The outcome of 49 pregnancies after RAI was: 35 children (72%), 5 (10%) miscarriages and 9 (18%) induced abortions. RAI did not adversely affect the rate of successful delivery and live birth demographics. Congenital malformation and first year mortality were not observed. The children's ages range from 1 month to 29 years (chi+/-SD=8.0+/-8.4). A higher therapeutic dose (>100 mCi) did not significantly alter the pregnancy outcome. There is no reason to discourage females treated with 1-131 from becoming pregnant. Patients should avoid pregnancy after RAI administration for 1 year.     

Fine needle aspiration of the hot thyroid nodule

The use of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in the evaluation of solitary hot thyroid nodules was examined in 24 patients. Satisfactory FNA specimens were obtained from 22 patients. None of the cytologic samples was considered malignant or suspicious for malignancy. The cytologic findings were indeterminate in one instance--a smear with follicular features. The smears from the other 21 patients were judged to be benign. If FNA had been used as the initial diagnostic step, the need for a thyroid scan would thus perhaps have been avoided in 21 of the 24 patients. These results support the idea that FNA is the most effective procedure in the evaluation of the solitary thyroid nodule, whether functional or not.     

Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid with chondroblastoma features mimicking papillary carcinoma: a case report

BACKGROUND: An unusual case of anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid arising from a metastatic focus of papillary carcinoma. CASE: The tumor affected a 69-year-old woman with a history of total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma 4 years previously. She presented with a rapidly enlarging neck mass that histologically simulated chondroblastoma. A small, embedded focus of residual follicular variant of papillary carcinoma was present. The patient died of disease 3 months later. CONCLUSION: This "chondroblastoma" variant of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma has not been reported to date.     

The time course of radioiodine distribution in chicks after iodate treatment]

The radioiodine (131Jodine) excretion in chicken is increased after the treatment with iodate, the radioiodine uptake in the thyroid gland is decreased. The percentage of intra- and extrathyroidal radioiodine 24 hours after the injection is similar in all groups. It seems that these findings are due to isotopedilution effects.     

Cytogenetic biodosimetry and dose-rate effect after radioiodine therapy for thyroid cancer

This study set out to investigate chromosomal damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of thyroid cancer patients receiving ¹³¹I for thyroid remnant ablation or treatment of metastatic disease. The observed chromosomal damage was further converted to the estimates of whole-body dose to project the adverse side effects. Chromosomal aberration analysis was performed in 24 patients treated for the first time or after multiple courses. Blood samples were collected before treatment and 3 or 4 days after administration of 2–4 GBq of ¹³¹I. Both conventional cytogenetic and chromosome 2, 4 and 12 painting assays were used. To account for dose-rate effect, a dose-protraction factor was applied to calculate the whole-body dose. The mean dose was 0.62 Gy (95% CI: 0.44–0.77 Gy) in the subgroup of patients treated one time and 0.67 Gy (95% CI: 0.03–1.00 Gy) in re-treated patients. These dose estimates are about 1.7-fold higher than those disregarding the effect of exposure duration. In re-treated patients, the neglected dose-rate effect can result in underestimation of the cumulative whole-body dose by the factor ranging from 2.6 to 6.8. Elevated frequency of chromosomal aberrations observed in re-treated patients before radioiodine therapy allows estimation of a cumulative dose received from all previous treatments.