Objectives-A high proportion of cytologically indeterminate, Afirma Gene Expression Classifier "suspicious" thyroid nodules are benign. The Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS), was proposed by the American College of Radiology in 2017 to help classify thyroid nodules based on ultrasound characteristics in a standardized fashion to guide management. We aim to determine the interobserver variability of TIRADS classification among cytologically indeterminate and Afirma suspicious nodules.Methods-We retrospectively queried cytopathology archives for thyroid fineneedle aspiration specimens obtained between February 2012 and September 2016 with associated (1) indeterminate diagnosis, (2) ultrasound imaging at our institution, (3) Afirma suspicious result, and (4) surgery at our institution. We compared the TIRADS variability of the 3 blinded radiologists using intraclass correlation coefficients.Results-Our cohort consisted of 127 nodules. Intraclass correlation coefficients can be interpreted as follows: less than 0.4, poor; 0.4 to 0.59, fair; 0.6 to 0.74, good; 0.75 to 1.00, excellent. The intraclass correlation coefficients of the raw TIRADS score and category variability was 0.561 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.464-0.651) or fair and 0.547 (95% CI, 0.449-0.640) or fair, respectively. When analyzing composition, echogenicity, shape, margin, and echogenic foci, the ICCs were 0.552 (95% CI, 0.454-0.643), fair; 0.533 (95% CI, 0.432-0.627), fair; 0.359 (95% CI, 0.248-0.469), poor; 0.192 (95% CI, 0.084-0.308), poor; and 0.549 (95% CI, 0.451-0.641), fair, respectively.Conclusions-Our results show that among the subset of cytologically indeterminate and Afirma suspicious nodules, TIRADS interobserver variability was fair. Shape and margin criteria were the biggest sources of disagreement. Large prospective studies are needed to evaluate the interobserver variability of TIRADS in this subset of thyroid nodules.

IMPORTANCE Endoscopic airway surgery is a frequently used procedure in the management of laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS); however, no established outcome measures are available to assess treatment response. OBJECTIVE To assess acoustics and aerodynamic measures and voice- and dyspnea-related quality of life (QOL) in adult patients with LTS who undergo endoscopic airway surgery. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This case series compared preoperative measures and postoperative outcomes among adult patients who underwent endoscopic airway surgery for LTS from September 1, 2013, to September 30, 2015, at the tertiary care Johns Hopkins Voice Center. Patients were excluded if they did not undergo balloon dilation or if they had multilevel or glottic stenosis. The Phonatory Aerodynamic System was used to quantify laryngotracheal aerodynamic changes after surgery. Final follow-up was completed 2 to 6 weeks after surgery. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The voice-related QOL instrument (V-RQOL), Dyspnea Index, and Clinical Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Questionnaire were completed before and after endoscopic surgery. Consensus auditory perceptual evaluation of voice, acoustic measurements, and aerodynamic outcomes were also assessed. RESULTS Fourteen patients (1 man and 13 women; mean [SD] age, 45.4 [4.3] years) were enrolled. The mean postoperative V-RQOL scores (n = 14) increased from 74.3 to 85.5 (mean of difference, 11.3; 95%CI, 2.2 to 20.3). The mean postoperative Dyspnea Index (n = 14) decreased from 26.9 to 6.6 (mean of difference, −20.3; 95%CI, −27.9 to −12.7); the mean postoperative Clinical Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Questionnaire scores (n = 9) decreased from 3.2 to 1.0 (mean of difference, −2.2; 95% CI, −3.4 to −0.9). Postoperative mean vital capacity (n = 14) increased from 2.5 to 3.1 L (mean of difference, 0.6 L; 95%CI, 0.3–1.0 L), whereas mean laryngeal resistance (n = 14) decreased from 73.9 to 46.4 cm H2O/L/s (mean of difference, −27.5 cm H2O/L/s; 95%CI, −44.8 to −10.3 cm H2O/L/s) postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Patients demonstrate statistically clinically significant improvement in dyspnea-related QOL, whereas a few patients showed a clinically significant improvement in V-RQOL. Dyspnea-related QOL outcomes should be added to airway surgeons’ regular assessment of patients with LTS to measure treatment response and inform the decision to perform a second operation, whereas V-RQOL outcomes need additional prospective study with a larger sample size. The Phonatory Aerodynamic System is not an optimal method to quantify changes in laryngotracheal aerodynamics after intervention in LTS.

Rationale:Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a rare cause of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT). The treatment usually involves catheter directed thrombolysis followed by systemic anticoagulation. Surgical decompression is frequently recommended after anticoagulation for definitive therapy.Patient concerns:We report two cases of UEDVT secondary to venous TOS with important clinical presentations.Diagnoses:Venous TOS.Interventions:One patient was initially treated conservatively but had a recurrent UEDVT. The second patient had a residual stump from a prior rib resection that was causing compression on the subclavian vein, resulting in recurrent venous symptoms.Outcomes:Both patients achieved significant improvement in their symptoms at 1 year follow-up.Lessons:UEDVTs can be debilitating, and may limit activities of daily living. Surgical decompression may offer significant improvement in quality of life and symptom relief in such patients.

Purpose: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) commonly arise in different regions of the stomach and are driven by various mutations (most often in KIT, PDGFRA, and SDHx). We hypothesized that the anatomic location of gastric GIST is associated with unique genomic profiles and distinct driver mutations. Experimental Design: We compared KIT versus non-KIT status with tumor location within the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for 2,418 patients with primary gastric GIST. Additionally, we compiled an international cohort (TransAtlantic GIST Collaborative, TAGC) of 236 patients and reviewed sequencing results, cross-sectional imaging, and operative reports. Subgroup analyses were performed for tumors located proximally versus distally. Risk factors for KIT versus non-KIT tumors were identified using multivariate regression analysis. A random forest machine learning model was then developed to determine feature importance. Results: Within the NCDB cohort, non-KIT mutants dominated distal tumor locations (P < 0.03). Proximal GIST were almost exclusively KIT mutant (96%) in the TAGC cohort, whereas 100% of PDGFRA and SDH-mutant GIST occurred in the distal stomach. On multivariate regression analysis, tumor location was associated with KIT versus non-KIT mutations. Using random forest machine learning analysis, stomach location was the most important feature for predicting mutation status. Conclusions: We provide the first evidence that the mutational landscape of gastric GIST is related to tumor location. Proximal gastric GIST are overwhelmingly KIT mutant, irrespective of morphology or age, whereas distal tumors display non-KIT genomic diversity. Anatomic location of gastric GIST may therefore provide immediate guidance for clinical treatment decisions and selective confirmatory genomic testing when resources are limited.