The incidence of antithyroglobulin autoantibodies (ATA) was 17.7% in 963 patients (who attended the clinic from 1981 to 1990) with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Another 12 patients developed ATA for a transient period after the treatment with radioiodine. The prevalence of ATA in females (21.5%, 123/572) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that seen in males (12.0%, 47/391). Age-dependent occurrence of ATA was not seen for the various age decades. The ATA was more prevalent (p < 0.01) with the papillary type of tumor (118/564) as compared to the follicular variety (51/398). ATA did not influence the metastatic spread of the tumor at the initial presentation (105/170 for the ATA-positive group and 445/793 for the ATA-negative group). However, within the group with metastases, 82.9% (87/105) of patients had local spread into the neck in the presence of ATA, which was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than that seen for patients without ATA (63.8%, 284/445). For assessment of the influence of ATA on the outcome of the disease, the data from 222 patients (46 positive and 176 negative for ATA), with a minimum follow-up of 5 years (mean follow-up of 7.4 years), was considered suitable for analysis. The outcome of the disease was comparable in the presence and the absence of ATA (38/46 and 137/176 patients became disease-free in ATA-positive and -negative groups, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An analysis of differentiated thyroid carcinomas in children and adolescents revealed that the incidence was 3.05% of total number of patients with differentiated thyroid cancers in all age groups. There was a female preponderance. The incidence of papillary, follicular and papillary with follicular elements was equal. There were no papillary carcinomas observed in children younger than 10 years. The predominant mode of presentation was a solitary nodule of thyroid and some of them had associated cervical adenopathy. A considerable number presented with only cervical adenopathy. The incidence of nodal metastases was 50% at time of presentation and lung involvement was present in 15% of children at the time of diagnosis. Radioiodine treatment was given in 70% of children. Ablation was achieved in 86% of patients given two doses of radioiodine (200 millicuries). The more resistant cases were those with lung and nodal metastases. There was complete ablation in 100% with only residual thyroid tissue, 83% in those with associated nodal metastases, and 57% in those with lung involvement. Average duration of follow-up was 10.3 years (range, 2 to 19 years). Recurrence rate or relapse was observed in 8.5% and was in the regional nodes. There was no recorded mortality due to the disease.

Consequent to the promising results reported with 99mTc(V)-DMSA for imaging certain types of soft tissue tumors, we have developed methods to prepare this radiopharmaceutical in three ways: from freshly prepared reagents, through the use of a two component kit and use of the standard renal DMSA kit by a modified recipe. The 99mTc(V)-DMSA complex has been subjected to paper electrophoretic and chromatographic procedures and also biodistribution studies. The distinctly different behaviour of this new product compared to that of the well known renal DMSA complex has been clearly established. Scintiimaging in a preliminary clinical trial in patients with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid has been encouraging.

SUMMARY Two siblings, a brother (H. B.) and a sister (R. B.) with long standing goitres were investigated. Radioactive iodine uptake by the thyroid was increased and a significant portion of the plasma radioactive iodine was not extractable with butanol. Chromatography of butanol extracts of serum after radioactive iodine administration showed distinct peaks of triiodothyronine and thyroxine. Microscopic examination of the surgical specimens of the goitres showed Hürthle cell carcinoma with follicles devoid of colloid in both specimens. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, salting out procedures, starch gel electrophoresis and immunological tests of the supernatant soluble fraction of thyroid homogenates showed a lack of thyroglobulin. Further fractionation of the soluble proteins showed that albumin was apparently involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormones in the absence of thyroglobulin.

Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma arises from the follicular dendritic cells present in the lymph nodes, especially of the head and neck area. Rarely, extranodal sites may be affected including tonsil, the oral cavity, liver, spleen and the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we report a case of intra-abdominal follicular dendritic cell sarcoma presenting as a huge mass in the ileocecal region of a 24-year young woman.

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