Objectives: Inflammatory markers such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been recently introduced as potential biomarkers for tumor pathogenesis, development and prognosis in solid tumors. Our aim was to assess the correlation of clinicopathological features and NLR and PLR in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: A total of 201 papillary thyroid carcinoma patients were divided into groups with a cut-off preoperative median NLR and PLR value of 1,92 and 123.9, respectively. The correlation of NLR and PLR and clinicopathological features including age, tumor size, extra-thyroidal extension, thyroid capsule invasion, surgical margin positivity, multifocality, bilaterality of the patients were analyzed. Results: The mean NLR and PLR were 2.11±0.94, 129.69±42.81, respectively. Larger tumor size and higher positivity of extra-thyroidal spread were correlated with higher NLR values. No significant relationship was found between NLR and age, presence of thyroid capsule invasion, surgical margin positivity, multifocality, bilaterality, and lymph node metastasis. Also no significant association was observed between the clinicopathological features and PLR. Conclusion: High NLR was found to correlate with tumor size and extra-thyroidal extension. NLR may be used as a marker to determine the clinical behavior of disease in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGINGF-FDG PET-CT imaging, following a diagnostic contrast-enhanced CT (CE-CT) performed within the last month, were included in our study. A total of 129 PET-CT images, and all radiologic, clinical, and pathological records of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTSIn total, 137 hypermetabolic extranodal infiltration sites were detected by 18 F-FDG PET-CT in 62 of 110 patients. There were no positive findings by CE-CT that reflected organ involvement in 40 of 137 18 F-FDG-positive sites. The κ statistics revealed fair agreement between PET-CT and CE-CT for the detection of extranodal involvement (κ=0.60). The organs showing a disagreement between the two modalities were the spleen, bone marrow, bone, and thyroid and prostate glands. In all lesions that were negative at CE-CT, there was a diffuse 18 F-FDG uptake pattern in the PET-CT images. The frequency of extranodal involvement was 51% and 58% in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, respectively. There was a high positive correlation between the maximum standardized uptake values of the highest 18 F-FDG-accumulating lymph nodes and extranodal sites (r=0.67) in patients with nodal and extranodal involvement. CONCLUSION 18 F-FDG PET-CT is a more effective technique than CE-CT for the evaluation of extranodal involvement in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. PET-CT has a significant advantage for the diagnosis of diffusely infiltrating organs without mass lesions or contrast enhancement compared to CE-CT.

Renal transplant scintigraphy performed within 2 days after transplantation is useful in the prediction of long-term graft function at 3 months, 1 year, and 5 years; and it is superior to resistance index.

In predicting graft dysfunction and separating normal functioning graft from pathological graft (ATN + AR), renal scintigraphy provides more accurate information than Doppler US. Even though it is superior to Doppler US, renal scintigraphy also cannot reliably separate ATN from AR. The major advantage of renal scintigraphy is the early detection of reduced renal function.

Abstract. AIM: Patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) have long-life expectancy and are at risk for developing a second primary cancer. Aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of DTC in conjunction with other primary neoplasms. It was also aimed to explore the possibility of synchronous or metachronous other malignancies having an impact on clinical course of thyroid carcinoma. MATERIAL & METHODS: Clinical records of 1680 DTC patients treated and followed in our institution over last twenty years were reviewed. Forty-five second primary tumors were found in 42 patients. These patients were classified into 3 groups as antecedent (group I), synchronous (group II) or subsequent (group III) according to the timing of occurrence of non-thyroidal malignancy. The initial characteristics of thyroid neoplasm were compared between patients with DTC plus another tumor and DTC only. Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis was used to estimate the survival probability for patients with DTC alone and DTC plus another primary tumor. RESULTS: There were 15 synchronous and 30 metachronous tumors in 42 patients. Three of them had triple tumors. The most common second primary was lympho-haematological and upper aero digestive system tumors in group I and II respectively, whereas a variety of tumors were noted in group III. Despite the more common occurrence of unfavourable prognostic factors in patients with multiple cancers than thyroid cancer alone, complete response to radioiodine therapy and recurrence free survival rate was similar in both groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the current series imply that the occurrence of multiple primary tumors is not uncommon in patients with DTC. Close medical surveillance and the use of advanced screening modalities might lead to the detection of second primary tumors in DTC. However, the presence of second primary seems not to affect the clinical course of DTC.