High dose 131I is more efficient than low dose for remnant ablation particularly after less than total thyroidectomy. Results suggest that patients with differentiated thyroid cancer should routinely have a total thyroidectomy followed by high dose 131I (2775-3700MBq) for ablation of the remnant.
Circulating 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD) levels were measured in 134 adults; 82 Saudi Arabian patients, 43 normal Saudi Arabians, and nine Western employees of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital. The mean circulating 25-OHD level was much lower in the normal Saudis (3.6 ng/ml) and Saudi patients (3.2 ng/ml) than in Westerners (17.1 ng/ml) (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the mean, normal Saudi male (3.9 ng/ml) and female (3.2 ng/ml) values, but rural Saudi (4.18 ng/ml) were higher than urban Saudi (3.14 ng/ml) values (p < 0.05). The 25-OHD levels were undetectable (< 2.0 ng/ml) in three patients with florid osteomalacia as well as in eight normal subjects and 26 patients without clinical or biochemical evidence of vitamin D deficiency. The 25-OHD levels increased from a mean of 2.8 ng/ml to 10.2 ng/ml during oral administration of vitamin D, 800 to 1200 IU daily (p < 0.01). We conclude that the circulating level of 25-OHD is low in the Saudi Arabian population. This results from a poor dietary intake and reduced synthesis of vitamin D by the skin. Both men and women avoid sunlight exposure and completely cover the skin with clothing. Individuals at risk, such as patients confined to the house for any reason, women during pregnancy and lactation, growing children, and patients on certain anticonvulsant medications should receive dietary supplements of vitamin D. Fortification of grain and milk products could help eliminate nutritional rickets and osteomalacia in Saudi Arabia.
Two patients with Cushing's syndrome due to lung carcinoid tumours were given the long-acting somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 (Sandostatin). One received a single 50 micrograms dose which produced a 50% reduction in circulating ACTH levels within 4 h. The other has been maintained in clinical and biochemical remission for 10 weeks on 100 micrograms tid. This is the first report of the successful use of SMS 201-995 in carcinoid-induced Cushing's syndrome, and suggests that this hormone analogue could be valuable in the long term medical management of such patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.