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Background Serum AFP levels are typically elevated in less than 50% of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients. Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels have been suggested to be a potentially useful HCC biomarker. Aims To assess in a cohort of prospectively evaluated HCC patients who underwent liver transplant and whose survival was known; the occurrence, prognosis, and clinical characteristics of patients with elevated serum GGT levels. Results Serum GGT levels were found to be elevated in a higher proportion in patients with either small or large HCC than alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, and were significantly related to prognosis in patients with large size HCCs. There was no clear correlation between GGT and AFP levels, likely reflecting different HCC characteristics or HCC cell lineages associated with these two markers. Furthermore, elevated GGT was found in 24% of low-AFP patients with small tumors and 46% with large tumors. Elevated GGT levels were also significantly associated with microvascular invasion and tumor diameter. Conclusions Elevated serum GGT levels were associated with HCC size and worse survival, and were unrelated to AFP levels. GGT may be a useful prognostic tumor marker, especially for low-AFP HCC patients.

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Objective: Thyroid pathologies and non-medullary thyroid cancer often accompany primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between thyroid diseases, especially micropapillary thyroid cancer, with PHPT. Material and Methods:Data regarding 46 patients who were operated on with a diagnosis of PHPT at Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, General Surgery Clinic between June 2009 and March 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Age, gender, levels of preoperative calcium, parathyroid hormone and phosphorus, and the histopathological results of the removed parathyroid and thyroid tissues were evaluated. All of the patients had a preoperative diagnosis of PHPT and there was no history of radiation to the head and neck region in any of the patients.Results: Out of the 46 patients who were operated on for PHPT, 39 were female and 7 were male. The mean age was 52.8 years (25-76). Simultaneous thyroidectomy was performed in 35 patients (76.1%) due to an accompanying thyroid disorder. Papillary microcarcinoma was detected in 5 of these 35 (10.9%) patients who underwent thyroidectomy, two of which (40%) were multifocal tumors. The benign thyroid pathologies detected in the remaining 30 (65.2%) cases included lymphocytic thyroiditis in 3, Hashimoto thyroiditis in 1, follicular adenoma in 3 (two of which was Hurtle cell), and nodular colloidal goiter in 23 patients. The preoperative serum phosphate level was significantly higher in the group with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (p=0.013). Conclusion:In regions where goiter is endemic, thyroid diseases and thyroid papillary microcarcinoma occur in association with PHPT at a higher rate compared to the normal population. Therefore, we believe that patients who are planned for surgery due to PHPT should be thoroughly investigated for the presence of any concomitant malignant thyroid pathologies in the preoperative period. It should also be kept in mind that patients with high blood serum phosphate values may have an increased risk of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

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Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast is a benign proliferative lesion of mammary stroma. It is identified as stromal cleavage surrounded by spindle-shaped stromal cells histomorphologicaly. Generally, it is determined in premenopausal women incidentally during breast biopsy. Clinically, it is rarely emerges as a palpable mass. PASH may be confused with low-grade angiosarcoma, hamartomas and phyllodes tumors in histopathological examination. Here, we report a giant left breast lesion that caused breast asymmetry and pain, and treated by total excision of the mass. The patient was a 39 years old women. Histopathologic examination of the specimen was evaluated as PASH. No additional medical treatment and clinical follow-up was recommended to patient. Within four months of the patient fallow-up, no problem occured.