Ultrasound examination of the chest has advanced in recent decades. This imaging modality is currently used to diagnose several pathological conditions and provides qualitative and quantitative information. Acoustic barriers represented by the aerated lungs and the bony framework of the chest generate well-described sonographic artifacts that can be used as diagnostic aids. The normal pleural line and A, B, C, E and Z lines (also known as false B lines) are artifacts with specific characteristics. Lung consolidation and pneumothorax sonographic patterns are also well established. Some scanning protocols have been used in patient management. The Blue, FALLS and C.A.U.S.E. protocols are examples of algorithms using artifact combinations to achieve accurate diagnoses. Combined chest ultrasonography and radiography are often sufficient to diagnose and manage lung and chest wall conditions. Chest ultrasonography is a highly valuable diagnostic tool for radiologists, emergency and intensive care physicians.
Objective To correlate the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) and the Bethesda system in reporting cytopathology in 1,000 thyroid nodules.Methods A retrospective study conducted from November 2011 to February 2014 that evaluated 1,000 thyroid nodules of 906 patients who underwent ultrasound exam and fine needle aspiration.Results A significant association was found between the TI-RADS outcome and Bethesda classification (p<0.001). Most individuals with TI-RADS 2 or 3 had Bethesda 2 result (95.5% and 92.5%, respectively). Among those classified as TI-RADS 4C and 5, most presented Bethesda 6 (68.2% and 91.3%, respectively; p<0.001). The proportion of malignancies among TI-RADS 2 was 0.8%, and TI-RADS 3 was 1.7%. Among those classified as TI-RADS 4A, proportion of malignancies was 16.0%, 43.2% in 4B, 72.7% in 4C and 91.3% among TI-RADS 5 (p<0.001), showing clear association between TI-RADS and biopsy results.Conclusion The TI-RADS is appropriate to assess thyroid nodules and avoid unnecessary fine needle aspiration, as well as to assist in making decision about when this procedure should be performed.
e15017 Background: KRAS mutation is common event in colorectal cancer occurring in around 40% of the patients. It is well- known that patients harboring the KRAS mutation do not derive benefit from cetuximab. However data available KRAS mutation profile is limited to Caucasian and Asian individuals and there is a lack of data in the population from Latin America. Brazilian population has a heterogeneous genetic background and this may have pharmacogenetic implications (Suarez-Kurtz, 2006). Methods: Between July and November 2008, we analyzed 989 consecutive patient samples sent to our laboratory for KRAS genotyping as a screening for cetuximab use. DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue, exons 1 were amplified by PCR and submitted to automatic sequencing. Codons 12 and 13 were analyzed. Results: The median age was 59 years and 53% of the patients were male and 47% female. The percentage of wild-type and mutated KRAS was 62 and 38%, respectively. Among the 375 mutated cases, 87% were in codon 12 versus 13% in codon 13. Mutation Gly12Asp was the most common being detected in 39% of the mutated cases. Due to the sample size a comparison among patients from different regions of Brazil was possible. However, no significant difference was observed in relation to the type or percentage of patients harboring the KRAS mutation. Interestingly, a significant difference in the percentage of mutated KRAS patients was observed between male and female (41 versus 35%, p= 0.05). Conclusions: The profile of KRAS mutation in the Brazilian population is similar to that reported for Caucasian and Asian populations. This is one of the largest cohorts of KRAS genotyping in colorectal cancer patients ever reported. To the best of our knowledge our data is the first to put forward the issue of a potential difference in the mutation rate according to gender. The observed higher incidence of KRAS-mutation in male than female deserves further investigation. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
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