Background Thyroid papillary microcarcinoma (TPMC) is an incidentally discovered papillary carcinoma that is ≤ 1.0 cm in size. Most TPMCs are indolent, whereas some behave aggressively. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the combination of BRAF mutation and specific histopathological features allows risk stratification of TPMC. Methods A group of aggressive TPMC was selected based on the presence of lymph node metastasis or tumor recurrence. A group of non-aggressive tumors included TPMCs matched for age, gender, and tumor size, but with no extrathyroidal spread. Molecular analysis was performed and histological slides were scored for multiple histopathological criteria. A separate validation cohort of 40 TPMC was evaluated. Results BRAF mutation was detected in 77% of aggressive TPMC and 32% of non-aggressive tumors (p=0.001). Several histopathological features showed significant difference between the groups. Using multivariate regression analysis, a molecular-pathological (MP) score was developed that included BRAF status and three histopathological features: superficial tumor location, intraglandular tumor spread/multifocality, and tumor fibrosis. By adding the histologic criteria to BRAF status, sensitivity was increased from 77% to 96% and specificity from 68% to 80%. In the independent validation cohort, the MP score stratified tumors into low, moderate, and high risk groups, with the probability of lymph node metastases or tumor recurrence of 0, 20%, and 60%, respectively. Conclusions BRAF status together with several histopathological features allow clinical risk stratification of TPMC. The combined molecular-pathological risk stratification model is a better predictor of extrathyroidal tumor spread than either mutational or histopathological findings alone.

An ultrasound finding of a hypoechoic thyroidectomy bed lesion with internal vascularity and size greater than 6 mm is highly sensitive in predicting recurrence. Serum Tg levels were less sensitive than ultrasound in detection of recurrence in the thyroidectomy bed.

BackgroundThe incidence of Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the most common type of thyroid malignancy, has risen rapidly worldwide. PTC usually has an excellent prognosis. However, the rising incidence of PTC, due at least partially to widespread use of neck imaging studies with increased detection of small cancers, has created a clinical issue of overdiagnosis, and consequential overtreatment. We investigated how molecular data can be used to develop a prognostics signature for PTC.MethodsThe Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) recently reported on the genomic landscape of a large cohort of PTC cases. In order to decrease unnecessary morbidity associated with over diagnosing PTC patient with good prognosis, we used TCGA data to develop a gene expression signature to distinguish between patients with good and poor prognosis. We selected a set of clinical phenotypes to define an ‘extreme poor’ prognosis group and an ‘extreme good’ prognosis group and developed a gene signature that characterized these.ResultsWe discovered a gene expression signature that distinguished the extreme good from extreme poor prognosis patients. Next, we applied this signature to the remaining intermediate risk patients, and show that they can be classified in clinically meaningful risk groups, characterized by established prognostic disease phenotypes. Analysis of the genes in the signature shows many known and novel genes involved in PTC prognosis.ConclusionsThis work demonstrates that using a selection of clinical phenotypes and treatment variables, it is possible to develop a statistically useful and biologically meaningful gene signature of PTC prognosis, which may be developed as a biomarker to help prevent overdiagnosis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2771-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective To determine the association between thyroid hormone levels and sleep quality in community-dwelling men. Methods Among 5,994 men aged ≥65 years in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) study, 682 had baseline thyroid function data, normal free thyroxine (FT4) (0.70 ≤ FT4 ≤ 1.85 ng/dL), actigraphy measurements, and were not using thyroid-related medications. Three categories of thyroid function were defined: subclinical hyperthyroid, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) <0.55 mIU/L; euthyroid (TSH, 0.55 to 4.78 mIU/L); and subclinical hypothyroid (TSH >4.78 mIU/L). Objective (total hours of nighttime sleep [TST], sleep efficiency [SE], wake after sleep onset [WASO], sleep latency [SL], number of long wake episodes [LWEP]) and subjective (TST, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score) sleep quality were measured. The association between TSH and sleep quality was examined using linear regression (continuous sleep outcomes) and log-binomial regression (categorical sleep outcomes). Results Among the 682 men examined, 15 had subclinical hyperthyroidism and 38 had subclinical hypothyroidism. There was no difference in sleep quality between subclinical hypothyroid and euthyroid men. Compared to euthyroid men, subclinical hyperthyroid men had lower mean actigraphy TST (adjusted mean difference [95% confidence interval (CI)], −27.4 [−63.7 to 8.9] minutes) and lower mean SE (−4.5% [−10.3% to 1.3%]), higher mean WASO (13.5 [−8.0 to 35.0] minutes]), whereas 41% had increased risk of actigraphy-measured TST <6 hours (relative risk [RR], 1.41; 95% CI, 0.83 to 2.39), and 83% had increased risk of SL ≥60 minutes (RR, 1.83; 95% CI, 0.65 to 5.14) (all P>0.05). Conclusion Neither subclinical hypothyroidism nor hyperthyroidism is significantly associated with decreased sleep quality.

Radiologist assessment of thyroid nodules in cases of atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesions of undetermined significance is highly predictive of the final diagnosis and can help guide management of thyroid nodules of these pathologic types.

Medical learners’ achievement emotions during educational activities have remained unexamined in Asian cultural contexts. The Medical Emotion Scale (MES) was previously developed to assess achievement emotions experienced by North American medical learners during learning activities. The goal of this study was to create and validate a Japanese version of the Medical Emotion Scale (J-MES). We translated the MES into Japanese and conducted two initial validation studies of the J-MES. In the first pilot study, we asked five, native-Japanese, second-year medical students to assess their emotions with the J-MES during a computer-based clinical reasoning activity. Each participant was then interviewed to assess the clarity and suitability of the items. In a second, larger study, 41 Japanese medical students were recruited to assess the psychometric properties of the J-MES. We also conducted individual, semi-structured interviews with ten of these participants to explore potential cultural features in the achievement emotions of Japanese students. The first pilot study demonstrated that the J-MES descriptions were clear, and that the scale captured an appropriate range of emotions. The second study revealed that the J-MES scale’s profiles and internal structure were largely consistent with control-value theory. The achievement emotions of pride, compassion, and surprise in the J-MES were found to be susceptible to cultural differences between North American and Japanese contexts. Our findings clearly demonstrated the scoring capacity, generalizability, and extrapolability of the J-MES.

Our study suggests a significant role of the pre-therapy I WBS in PTC patients referred for I ablation post-thyroidectomy. The actual I dose that was administered based on the I WBS differed from the dose recommended in the absence of the I WBS in 49% of the cases.

Introduction: The International University of Health and Welfare (IUHW) School of Medicine was founded in 2017 with the intention of providing medical content in English a historical first in Japan. Twenty international medical students have been accepted annually, with the majority possessing less than beginner level Japanese language proficiency at the time of enrolment. However, proficiency in Japanese, especially in the context of medicine is required for academic success and program completion. To address this, the IUHW School of Medicine has developed a course in medical Japanese with the objective of facilitating international students’ acquisition of medical Japanese and reinforcing such acquisition through various listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. This study aims to describe the Japanese language education program for international students at the IUHW School of Medicine, with particular focus on the development of the curriculum and course content. Methods: The course is designed based on the following educational strategies and their applications: (a) Synchronisation of both medical and Japanese contents; (b) Collaborative learning; (c) Japanese output of medical content learned in English; (d) Practical output through making/giving a presentation and discussion with medical experts; (e) Detailed language feedback from language experts; (f) Reinforcing the vocabulary knowledge by writing; and (g) Building up vocabulary and expressions with relevant contents. Results: Our observations suggest that our international students have been able to continue their medical education in Japanese smoothly. Conclusion: The content-based instructional design that includes second language acquisition strategies may also be applicable to other Asian languages such as Korean and Chinese.