Calcified Nodules Research Articles

AuNP-Loaded Electrospinning Membrane Cooperated with CDs for Periodontal Tissue Engineering.

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is commonly used to regenerate periodontal tissue. However, the bone inductivity and antibacterial properties of the GBR membranes currently in use are severely limited. This issue can be resolved by loading growth factors and antibiotics. Bioactive substitutes, such as Aunanoparticles (AuNPs) and carbon quantum dots (CDs), were proposed to prevent the denaturation of osteogenic growth factors and the induction of antibacterial drug resistance. Ornidazole was initially used as the raw material to prepare the CDs, followed by the incorporation of an optimal ratio of nanoparticles to produce the electrospun membrane doped with AuNPs and novel traceable antibacterial CDs. The morphology of the membrane was characterized. The adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of cells on the membrane were evaluated in vitro. The antimicrobial characteristics of the membrane were also investigated. The electrospun membrane was implanted into a rat skull defect model in vivo to investigate its osteogenic potential. The blending of nanomaterials did not affect the micro morphology of the fiber, resulting in enhanced mechanical properties. Membranes dopedwith AuNPs and CDs exhibited excellent biocompatibility, increased ALP activity, improved calcified nodules, and increased expression of osteogenic-associated proteins, in addition to pronounced antibacterial effects. The membrane also demonstrated excellent osteogenic characteristics in rat models. The synergistic effect of loaded AuNPs electrospun fiber membrane with CDs can promote periodontal bone regeneration and exert antibacterial activity.

Novel Universal Bond Containing Bioactive Monomer Promotes Odontoblast Differentiation In Vitro.

The development of multifunctional materials has been expected in dentistry. This study investigated the effects of a novel universal bond containing a bioactive monomer, calcium 4-methacryloxyethyl trimellitic acid (CMET), on odontoblast differentiation in vitro. Eluates from bioactive universal bond with CMET (BA (+), BA bond), bioactive universal bond without CMET (BA (-)), and Scotchbond Universal Plus adhesive (SC, 3M ESPE, USA) were added to the culture medium of the rat odontoblast-like cell line MDPC-23. Then, cell proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization were examined. Statistical analyses were performed using a one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSDtest. The cell counting kit-8 assay and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay showed that cell proliferation and ALP were significantly higher in the 0.5% BA (+) group than in the other groups. In a real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, mRNA expression of the odontogenic markers, dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1), was significantly higher in the 0.5% BA (+) group than in the BA (-) and SC groups. Calcific nodule formation in MDPC-23 cells was accelerated in the BA (+) group in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01); however, no such effect was observed in the BA (-) and SC groups. Thus, the BA bond shows excellent potential for dentin regeneration.

Observer- and radiomics model-based computed tomography classification of suppurative versus tuberculous lymphadenitis complicated with nodal necrosis of the neck in children.

Computed tomography (CT) can be used for the early detection of lymphadenitis. Radiomics is able to identify a large amount of hidden information from images. However, few CT-based radiomics studies on cervical lymphadenitis in children have been published. This study aimed to investigate the role of visual CT analysis and CT radiomics in differentiating cervical suppurative node necrosis from tuberculous node necrosis in pediatric patients. A total of 101 patients with cervical suppurative lymphadenitis (n=52) or cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (n=49) were included. Clinical data and CT images were retrieved for analysis. For visual observation, 11 major CT features were identified for univariate and multivariate analyses. For radiomics analysis, image segmentation, feature value extraction, and dimension reduction, feature selection and the construction of radiomics-based models were performed through the RadCloud platform. For the visual observation, significant differences were found between the two groups, including the short diameter of the largest necrotic lymph node (P=0.03), sharp border of the node (P=0.02), fusion of nodes (P=0.02), regular silhouette of the necrotic area (P=0.001), multilocular necrotic area (P=0.02), node calcification (P=0.004), and enhancement degree of the nodal nonnecrotic area (P=0.01). No feature was found to be an independent predictor for suppurative or tuberculous lymphadenitis (P>0.05 for all features). Concerning the radiomics analysis, after feature value extraction and dimension reduction, nine related features were selected. The support vector machine classifier achieved high diagnostic performance in distinguishing suppurative from tuberculous lymphadenitis. The area under the curve, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the support vector machine model test set were 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.72-1.00), 0.88, 0.78, and 0.90, respectively. Compared to observer-based CT image analyses, radiomics model-based CT image analyses exhibit better performance in the differential diagnosis of cervical suppurative and tuberculous lymphadenitis complicated with nodal necrosis in children.

Phosphorylated pullulan promotes calcification during bone regeneration in the bone defects of rat tibiae.

The current study aimed to evaluate bone tissue regeneration using a combination of β-tricalcium phosphate (βTCP) and phosphorylated pullulan (PPL, a phosphate-rich polysaccharide polymer consisting of maltotriose units). Round defects of 2mm diameter were created in the arterial center of rat tibiae, which were further treated with vehicle (control group), βTCP (βTCP group), or βTCP + PPL (βTCP + PPL group) grafts. The control specimens without bone grafts exhibited rapid bone formation after 1week; however, the regenerated bone was not resorbed until 4weeks. In contrast, βTCP-grafted specimens exhibited fewer but thicker trabeculae, whereas the βTCP + PPL group displayed many fine trabeculae at 4weeks. In the βTCP + PPL group, new bone was associated with the βTCP granules and PPL. Similarly, PHOSPHO1-positive osteoblasts were localized on the βTCP granules as well as the PPL. On the other hand, TRAP-reactive osteoclasts predominantly localized on newly-formed bone and βTCP granules rather than on the PPL. No significant differences were observed in the expression of Alp, Integrin αv, Osteopontin, Osteocalcin, and Dmp-1 in PPL-treated MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells, suggesting that PPL did not facilitate osteoblastic differentiation. However, von Kossa staining identified abundant needle-like calcified structures extending inside the PPL. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed many globular structures identical to calcified nodules. In addition, calcified collagen fibrils were observed in the superficial layer of the PPL. Thus, PPL may serve as a scaffold for osteoblastic bone formation and promotes calcification on its surface. In conclusion, we speculated that βTCP and PPL might promote bone regeneration and could be integrated into promising osteoconductive materials.

Diagnosis and Prognostic Value of the Underlying Cause of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Optical Coherence Tomography-Guided Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background The prognostic impact of optical coherence tomography-diagnosed culprit lesion morphology in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been systematically examined in real-world settings. Methods and Results This investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted at 22 Japanese hospitals to identify the prevalence of underlying ACS causes (plaque rupture [PR], plaque erosion [PE], and calcified nodules [CN]) and their impact on clinical outcomes. Patients with ACS diagnosed within 24 hours of symptom onset undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention were enrolled. Optical coherence tomography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention recipients were assessed for underlying ACS causes and followed up for major adverse cardiac events (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, heart failure, or ischemia-driven revascularization) at 1 year. Of 1702 patients with ACS, 702 (40.7%) underwent optical coherence tomography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention for analysis. PR, PE, and CN prevalence was 59.1%, 25.6%, and 4.0%, respectively. One-year major adverse cardiac events occurred most frequently in patients with CN (32.1%), followed by PR (12.4%) and PE (6.2%) (log-rank P<0.0001), primarily driven by increased cardiovascular death (CN, 25.0%; PR, 0.7%; PE, 1.1%; log-rank P<0.0001) and heart failure trend (CN, 7.1%; PR, 6.8%; PE, 2.2%; log-rank P<0.075). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, the underlying ACS cause was associated with 1-year major adverse cardiac events (CN [hazard ratio (HR), 4.49 [95% CI, 1.35-14.89], P=0.014]; PR (HR, 2.18 [95% CI, 1.05-4.53], P=0.036]; PE as reference). Conclusions Despite being the least common, CN was a clinically significant underlying ACS cause, associated with the highest future major adverse cardiac events risk, followed by PR and PE. Future studies should evaluate the possibility of ACS underlying cause-based optical coherence tomography-guided optimization.

SAT551 Significantly Elevated Thyroglobulin Levels with Negative Whole-Body Scan and PET/CT After Treatment of Thyroid Cancer: A Case Report

Abstract Disclosure: A. Bassatne: None. J.T. Chaiban: None. Background: Thyroglobulin (Tg) levels are used to monitor recurrence or persistence of disease after treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer. Some cases may have persistently elevated Tg and negative whole-body scans (WBS). We present a case of substantially elevated Tg levels despite negative WBS and PET/CT after thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment in a patient with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Clinical Case: A 66 years old lady was referred to the endocrinology clinic almost 5 years ago after incidental findings of calcified thyroid nodules on CT. Thyroid US confirmed 2cm aggregate calcified nodules. FNA revealed PTC for which she underwent thyroidectomy. Pathology showed a unifocal 3.5 cm left lobe conventional PTC without angioinvasion nor extrathyroidal extension, 3/13 positive lymph nodes (LN) on the lateral dissection of the left neck as well as multiple small LN on the central dissection. 6 days postop, her Tg was still significantly high at 40.5ng/mL (Ref 1.2-35 ng/mL) and then increased to 397ng/mL after thyrogen preparation for RAI ablation, antithyroglobulin antibodies were negative. WBS post RAI was negative except for the physiologic neck uptake. Almost a year later, a diagnostic WBS after thyrogen stimulation was still negative but the stimulated Tg increased again to 235 ng/mL with negative thyroglobulin antibodies. Tg result were confirmed by LC-MS method. Heterophile Antibodies were negative. Patient confirmed that every single time she followed at least 2 weeks of low iodine diet in preparation for the WBS. Unfortunately, we were not able to get a 24 hour urine collection for iodine. A PET/CT was reassuring. CT neck/chest did not show any suspicious metastases. TSH was maintained at an adequately suppressed level all through and Tg levels were ranging around 6-8 ng/mL. After another year, a stimulated Tg was 302.4 ng/mL with a TSH of 198 mcU/mL (Ref 0.35-5.0 mcU/mL). At that time, a repeat WBS was negative and a repeat PET/CT demonstrated an interval development of a small thyroid focus thought to be consistent with recurrence of malignancy. However, a CT of neck/chest did not reveal any abnormal thyroid findings or metastases. Patient received 100 mCi of RAI after thyroid hormone withdrawal. Subsequent WBS was negative. Currently her Tg levels are stable at around 8-9ng/mL for the past 6 months with a suppressed TSH. Patient had another PET/CT through her breast surgeon to follow on a previous breast lesion and no thyroid abnormality was noted. Conclusion: Elevated Tg levels despite negative imaging may be seen in patients with PTC as illustrated in this case. We are reporting it due to the extent of elevation of Tg levels seen on more than one occasion in the absence of structural recurrence. Evaluation and treatment of such patients remain controversial. Presentation Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023

THU012 Incidental Pituitary Adenoma In A Patient With Ectopic ACTH Secreting Cushing Syndrome - A Diagnostic Conundrum

Abstract Disclosure: M.S. Nali: None. R.R. Yatavelli: None. Background: Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a rare condition with an estimated incidence of 2-3 cases/million. Endogenous CS can be divided into ACTH -dependent (80%) and ACTH Independent (20%) with Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome (ECS) accounting for 10-20% of all cases of ACTH-dependent CS. Herein we present a case with indolent onset ACTH-dependent CS who on initial work-up showed a pituitary microadenoma raising the suspicion for Cushing disease, but the source of excess ACTH was found to be from a pulmonary neuroendocrine tumor. Clinical Case: A 44-yr-old female with history of type 1 DM, Obesity, BMI 43.60, Sleep apnea was evaluated elsewhere for suspected Cushing’s due to increased insulin requirements and progressive weight gain. Outside labs showed cortisol of 4.5 ug/dl on 1 mg DST &amp; 8 mg DST cortisol was 3 ug/dl. MRI of the pituitary showed a 3.5x 2.8x 1.8 mm microadenoma &amp; she was initially presumed to have Cushing’s disease secondary to pituitary microadenoma. The patient was seen by neurosurgery who referred to endocrine for localization of cortisol excess by IPSS. Clinically she had moon facies, hirsutism, dorsocervical fat pad, violaceous striae on abdomen. On further laboratory evaluation her ACTH: 88 (0-46) and random cortisol 14 ug/dl with normal rest of pituitary hormones. Her 24-hour urine free Cortisol was 45ug/d (3.5 - 45) and late-night salivary cortisol: 74 &amp;&amp;lt;50 (Ref. range &amp;lt;100 ng/dl) on couple of nights, respectively. Due to non-suppressed cortisol on high dose DST, a CT chest was obtained which showed a 2cms non calcified nodule in the left lower lobe of lung. Transbronchial biopsy was performed, cytopathology showed well differentiated neuroendocrine tumor, likely carcinoid and stained strongly positive for ACTH confirming ectopic ACTH producing tumor. Gallium-68 Dotatate Scan showed abnormal increased uptake in the known left lung nodule. The patient was recommended for surgical removal of neuroendocrine tumor, but she could not tolerate anesthesia and had to undergo stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the lung lesion. Repeat ACTH levels 2 months post SBRT showed the ACTH levels were elevated and lesion was still persistent on imaging, however on discussion with rad oncology, the neuroendocrine tumors tend to take longer to show response on imaging and plan is to repeat imaging and biochemical work up in couple of months. Conclusion: The diagnosis of CS and recognizing the source of hormonal excess poses significant challenges Pituitary adenomas are incidentally discovered in up to 10% of the normal population &amp; IPSS is advised for patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome and an adenoma smaller than 6 mm, however in patients with equivocal findings, it is important to look for other sources of ACTH prior to any invasive procedure. The source of ectopic ACTH secretion should be established after diagnosis because the excision of an ACTH-producing tumor can be curative. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

SAT560 A Case of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma with Increasing Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Stable Calcitonin Levels

Abstract Disclosure: K.N. Youssef: None. L. Salej: None. A. Gavrila-Filip: None. Background: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neuroendocrine tumor arising from the parafollicular or C cells of the thyroid gland that secretes different tumor markers, including calcitonin (CT) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). CT is only produced by parafollicular cells, while CEA is a non-specific marker produced in various normal tissues, such as epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract, lung, breast, and prostate. Different benign and malignant conditions are associated with elevated serum CEA levels. Clinical case: A 69 years-old active smoker male with a history of nasal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) status post resection in the remote past and bilateral pulmonary nodules underwent total thyroidectomy for a thyroid nodule with FNA positive for medullary carcinoma. Surgical pathology revealed a unifocal 1.5 cm medullary carcinoma with clean surgical margins and no lymphadenopathy. Pre-operative studies included an elevated serum CT of 388 pg/mL (normal ≤ 10 pg/mL), normal serum calcium and PTH levels and a normal 24-hour urinary test for pheochromocytoma. Family history was irrelevant, and the RET proto-oncogene test was negative. Initial post-operative serum CT levels were undetectable and CEA levels were normal (0-4 ng/mL). CT levels increased slowly over the next five years and then they remained stable in the range of 32 to 45 pg/mL. Serum CEA started to rise progressively 7 years after the thyroid surgery up to 6.5 pg/mL. Follow-up neck ultrasounds showed no local recurrence or lymphadenopathy. An extensive evaluation was performed to search for possible MTC metastases and other etiologies for the elevated CEA levels. Bone scan was negative. Chest CT scans revealed enlarging small bilateral pulmonary nodules; stable calcified mediastinal lymph nodes were noted, consistent with chronic granulomatous disease. PET-CT scan showed pulmonary nodules, too small to characterize. The patient underwent a left lower pulmonary lobe robotic-assisted wedge resection. Surgical pathology revealed keratinizing SCC, though to represent primary lung SCC versus metastases from his prior nasal SCC. Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy with biopsy were negative for malignancy. On further workup, the patient was diagnosed with prostate adenocarcinoma and underwent surgery followed by external beam radiation with hormonal therapy. Serum CEA levels normalized one year after the prostate cancer treatment. Serum CT levels remained stable. Conclusion: In patients with MTC who show increasing serum CEA and stable CT levels during follow-up after the initial treatment, it is important to exclude other etiologies before concluding that this change is related to a progression of the medullary cancer. Reference: Carcinoembryonic Antigen. Kankanala VL, Mukkamalla SKR.2022 Jan 26. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Presentation Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023

SAT246 Ectopic (Penile) Calcification in 1, 25 Vitamin D Induced Hypercalcemia

Abstract Disclosure: J. Berquist: None. D.S. Reddy: None. A 60-year-old male with a history of well controlled type 2 diabetes and HTN presented with acute renal failure (initial creatinine 19.9 mg/dL, GFR 11). Kidney biopsy during admission was consistent with acute tubular necrosis and mild diabetic nephropathy. Serum calcium was normal at that time. He received temporary dialysis and eventually discharged home with improved (though still elevated) creatinine. On follow up labs a month later, he was noted to have high serum calcium. He was temporarily lost to follow up and was readmitted four months later due to persistent severe hypercalcemia. Peak serum calcium on his new admission was 13.2 mg/dL. Phosphorus level three months prior was 5.9 mg/dL, though had now improved to 2.7 mg/dL. Other labs this admission include creatinine 2.54 and GFR 33 (which was consistent with previous months), PTH 11 pg/mL, 25-OH Vitamin D 10 ng/mL, 1,25-Dihydroxy Vitamin D elevated at 84.8 pg/mL and magnesium low at 1.5 mg/dL. SPEP and UPEP were both negative and PTHrP was not measured. Kappa/Lamda free light chain ratio was mildly elevated at 1.77 (0.26-1.65). QuantiFERON Gold, HIV, Beta-2 microglobulin, ANA, and flow cytometry were negative. He received calcitonin x 2, IVF, zoledronic acid, and denosumab (three days later), which improved his calcium to 11.5 by discharge 11 days later. He underwent a CT Chest/Abdomen/Pelvis, T spine, and L spine that were remarkable for multiple bilateral partially calcified pulmonary nodules and hepatic steatosis with splenomegaly. PET CT showed 20 hypermetabolic osseous lesions throughout axial skeleton, multiple pulmonary, liver, and splenic lesions and lymphadenopathy in the head, neck, chest, abdomen. There was also diffuse calcification of the penile corpora. Pathology via biopsies of a retroperitoneal lymph node as well as bone marrow showed non-caseating granulomas. Lastly, 1-2 months ago, he noticed pain and hardening of his penis. On exam, there is a deep firmness with palpation and distal penile tenderness. There are no cutaneous lesions on the penis or anywhere else on the skin. Calciphylaxis was a consideration, but isolated penile involvement is rare. Additionally, it is rare to develop calciphylaxis without end stage renal disease. A review of the literature showed many cases of penile calciphylaxis, though none were without cutaneous involvement. Sarcoidosis of the penis is also very rare and cases in the literature cite either a cutaneous or intraurethral lesion. This case appears unique in the findings of penile calcification palpable on exam and visible on imaging, without any cutaneous manifestations, in the setting of previous though recovered acute renal failure and 1, 25 Vitamin D-mediated hypercalcemia in sarcoidosis. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

SAT541 Pleural Effusion As First Manifestation Of Recurrent Follicular Thyroid Cancer

Abstract Disclosure: N.S. Kadakia: None. C.A. Poku: None. Pleural effusions are a rare presentation of Follicular Thyroid Cancer (FTC). We portray a case of a patient with a remote history of FTC who presented with pleural effusion 57 years later as the first sign of recurrence. A 80 year old male presented to the hospital 8/2021 with shortness of breath and was found to have a pleural effusion. He had a history of FTC diagnosed at age 23 status post total thyroidectomy, external beam radiation and radioactive iodine. He was started on thyroid hormone replacement and was subsequently lost to follow up. Chart review showed unremarkable neck ultrasounds completed in 2004 and 2006. During admission 8/2021, a malignant pleural effusion was diagnosed after the effusion tested positive for TTF-1 and thyroglobulin (Tg). He was diagnosed with recurrent metastatic thyroid cancer. A CT scan of the neck showed a small paratracheal nodule while a PET scan revealed hypermetabolic activity in the left pleura. A neck ultrasound reported a 2 cm cervical lymph node on the right with preserved fatty hilum and an ovoid 1 cm isoechoic solid nodule in the left surgical bed. There was evidence of bulky calcified lymph nodes on CT. The pleural lesion was not accessible however biopsy of a supraclavicular lymph node was consistent with metastatic follicular carcinoma. After a delay due to iodine contrast exposure, a whole body scan with radioactive iodine was completed in 1/2022 and showed multiple foci of uptake in the right neck, right thyroid, left clavicular region, and lung bases. He was treated with 250 mCi I-131 sodium iodide in 1/2022 and levothyroxine dose was increased with a target TSH of less than 0.1. His Tg level was mildly increased. Thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg ab) were positive but have continued to trend down after treatment. A follow up CT chest done 7/2022 had persistent pleural thickening but significant improvement in pleural effusion and thus thyroxine kinase inhibitors (TKI) chemotherapy has not been initiated. Malignant pleural effusion is a rare presentation of FTC metastasis with a reported median survival of 11 months (Kazushige). Pleural effusion is a poor prognostic sign in patients with FTC and distant metastases (Broome). This affirms that prompt recognition is of essence however it also raises the question of how effective current therapies are. A retrospective study evaluated 20 patients who received RAI for pulmonary metastasis from FTC, and found the efficacy rate was relatively low (40%). There is insufficient data to determine the effectiveness of RAI as treatment for metastatic FTC to the pleura. This case adds to the limited literature on recurrence of FTC with pleural effusion and highlights limitations of current management. If the response to RAI is deemed inadequate then consideration should be given to the use of TKI. Presentation Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023

SAT548 Incidental Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Diagnosed After Total Thyroidectomy For Recurrent Grave's Disease

Abstract Disclosure: S.U. Perez-Martinez: None. S. Bao: None. Introduction: Whether Graves’ disease (GD) increases the risk of thyroid cancer (TC) has been a long-time topic of debate. Some studies reported increased risk of TC in GD, particularly when patients with GD have thyroid nodules. Other studies suggested the prevalence of incidental differentiated TC in GD is comparable to euthyroid goiter. Here we present a case of a 39-year-old female with a thyroid nodule and recurrent GD who underwent total thyroidectomy (TT) and was found to have a 0.4cm incidental papillary TC. Clinical case: 39 year-old female patient was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism due to GD and a 1.26x2.04x2.88cm complex right thyroid nodule at age 28, based on laboratory and thyroid ultrasound (US) studies, respectively. Fine needle aspiration showed a follicular lesion favoring colloid nodule. Patient preferred conservative measures at that time. She was treated with methimazole for 3 years and went into remission. Her thyroid nodule was monitored with serial thyroid US (every 1-2 years) for 7 years and remained stable. However, 7 years after discontinuation of methimazole, she developed recurrent hyperthyroidism, with laboratory findings of suppressed TSH of &amp;lt;0.04 (normal 0.35-5.5 mcu/mL), elevated free T4 of 2.4 (normal 0.8-1.8 ng/dL) and Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin of 8.01 (normal &amp;lt; 0.054 IU/L). Patient was restarted on Methimazole 10mg daily. Her TSH remained to be low at &amp;lt; 0.015 (normal 0.35-3.6 mcu/mL) 4 months later, at which point more definitive treatment options including radioactive iodine ablation or TT were again discussed, and the patient opted to undergo TT, which was performed successfully 2 months later. Surgical pathology was consistent with GD, an encapsulated, fibrotic, and calcified nodule consistent with infarcted follicular lesion but also a 0.4cm incidental Papillary TC in right thyroid lobe. Surgical margin was clean, no extrathyroidal extension, one perithyroidal lymph node was negative for malignancy. Patient has been doing well afterwards. Discussion: The prevalence and clinical significance of incidental differentiated TC in patients with GD have been controversial topics. Incidence of TC in GD was mostly reported to be 7-17%, but may be as high as 42%, based on thyroidectomy studies. However, a recent retrospective multicenter study suggested the concomitant TC in GD was considerably lower. No difference in TC aggressiveness, US findings, or prognosis were observed between nodular GD and non-nodular GD groups. The clinical outcomes of TC were also excellent. A Cleveland Clinic study suggested nodule size &amp;gt; 1cm predicted incidental TC whereas Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin titers and disease duration did not. These data argue for screening patients with GD more aggressively for TC or treating GD patients with coexisting thyroid nodule more aggressively; as in our case, even if incidental TC was found, prognosis is favorable. Presentation Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Riboflavin deficiency reduces bone mineral density in rats by compromising osteoblast function

Insufficient riboflavin intake has been associated with poor bone health. This study aimed to investigate the effect of riboflavin deficiency on bone health in vivo and in vitro. Riboflavin deficiency was successfully developed in rats and osteoblasts. The results indicated that bone mineral density, serum bone alkaline phosphatase, bone phosphorus, and bone calcium were significantly decreased while serum ionized calcium and osteocalcin were significantly increased in the riboflavin-deficient rats. Riboflavin deficiency also induced the reduction of Runx2, Osterix, and BMP-2/Smad1/5/9 cascade in the femur. These results were further verified in cellular experiments. Our findings demonstrated that alkaline phosphatase activities and calcified nodules were significantly decreased while intracellular osteocalcin and pro-collagen I c-terminal propeptide were significantly increased in the riboflavin-deficient osteoblasts. Additionally, the protein expression of Osterix, Runx2, and BMP-2/Smad1/5/9 cascade were significantly decreased while the protein expression of p-p38 MAPK were significantly increased in the riboflavin-deficient cells compared to the control cells. Blockage of p38 MAPK signaling pathway with SB203580 reversed these effects in riboflavin-deficient osteoblastic cells. Our data suggest that riboflavin deficiency causes osteoblast malfunction and retards bone matrix mineralization via p38 MAPK/BMP-2/Smad1/5/9 signaling pathway.

TCT-552 Calcified Nodule Is Common at the Edge of a Previously Placed Stent and Is Associated With Severe Lesion Calcium: A Cross-sectional OCT Imaging Study

TCT-552 Calcified Nodule Is Common at the Edge of a Previously Placed Stent and Is Associated With Severe Lesion Calcium: A Cross-sectional OCT Imaging Study

TCT-156 Safety, Efficacy, and Optical Coherence Tomographic Insight of Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy for Calcified Nodule Modification During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

TCT-156 Safety, Efficacy, and Optical Coherence Tomographic Insight of Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy for Calcified Nodule Modification During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

TCT-105 Prognostic Significance of Nodular Calcification Derived From Noncontrast Coronary Computed Tomography Before Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

TCT-105 Prognostic Significance of Nodular Calcification Derived From Noncontrast Coronary Computed Tomography Before Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Frequency and Distribution of Sheet and Nodular Calcification in Coronary Arteries in Japanese Patients.

Whether a nodular calcification (NC), which is the precursor to intracoronary thrombosis, is focally or diffusely distributed in the coronary tree has major implications for ongoing efforts to identify. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and spatial distribution patterns of sheet calcification (SC) and NC in a 3-vessel examination of autopsied human hearts.A total of 323 coronary artery specimens from 110 cadavers were obtained from autopsy cases. After fixation and decalcification, the coronary artery trees were cut every 5 mm into 4-μm transverse cross-sections for histological assessment. An SC was defined as a plate-like calcification of > 1 quadrant of the vessel or > 3 mm in diameter, and NC as nodular calcium deposits separated by fibrin, and a deposit size > 1 mm in diameter.Of the 6,306 histological cross-sections, SCs and NCs were identified in 1,627 (26%) and 233 (4%) cross-sections, respectively. SCs and NCs had a similar distribution pattern in all 3 coronary arteries. In the left anterior descending artery (LAD), NCs were predominantly located in the proximal segment: the first 45 mm from the LAD ostium (72%) and the first 60 mm from the LAD ostium (84%), respectively. However, NCs were evenly distributed throughout the length of the coronary artery in the right coronary artery (RCA) and left circumflex artery (LCX).NCs coexisted with SCs, and tended to cluster in predictable parts within the proximal segments of the LAD, but were evenly distributed throughout the RCA and LCX in coronary arteries from cadavers.

Comparison of ultrasonic shear wave elastography, AngioPLUS planewave ultrasensitive imaging, and optimized high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating carotid plaque stability.

This study aimed to compare the efficiency of evaluating carotid plaque stability using ultrasonic shear wave elastography (SWE), AngioPLUS planewave ultrasensitive imaging (AP), and optimized high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total of 100 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy at our hospital from October 2019 to August 2022 were enrolled. Based on the final clinical diagnosis, these patients were divided into vulnerable (n=62) and stable (n=38) plaque groups. All patients were examined using ultrasound SWE, AP, and optimized high-resolution MRI before surgery. The clinical data and ultrasound characteristics of patients of the two groups were compared. Considering the final clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of SWE, AP, high-resolution MRI, and the final clinical diagnosis of vulnerable plaque were calculated. Pearson's correlation test was used to analyze the correlations of AP, SWE, and MRI results with the grading results of carotid artery stenosis. Statistically significant differences were noticed in terms of the history of smoking and coronary heart disease, plaque thickness, surface rules, calcified nodules, low echo area, and the degree of carotid artery stenosis between the two groups (P<0.05). Considering the final clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of SWE-based detection of carotid artery vulnerability were 87.10% (54/62), 76.32% (29/38), 85.71% (54/63) and 78.38% (29/37), respectively, showing a general consistency with the final clinical results (Kappa = 0.637, P<0.05). Considering the final clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of AP-based detection of carotid artery vulnerability were 93.55% (58/62), 84.21% (32/38), 90.63% (58/64), and 88.89% (32/36), respectively, which agreed with the final clinical detection results (Kappa = 0.786, P<0.05). Considering the final clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of high-resolution MRI-based detection of carotid artery vulnerability were 88.71% (55/62), 78.95% (30/38), 87.30% (55/63), and 81.08% (30/37), respectively, showing consistency with the final clinical results (Kappa = 0.680, P<0.05). AP, SWE, and MRI results were positively correlated with the results of carotid artery stenosis grading (P<0.05). AP technology is a non-invasive, inexpensive, and highly sensitive method to evaluate the stability of carotid artery plaques. This method can dynamically display the flow of blood in new vessels of plaque in real time and provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Degenerative Changes in Aging Human Pelvic Lymph Nodes-A Reason to Rethink Staging and Therapy of Regional Malignancies?

Lymph node metastases are common in pelvic urological tumors, and the age-related remodeling process of the pelvic lymph nodes influences metastatic behavior. The aim of this work is to characterize age-related degenerative changes in the pelvic lymph nodes with respect to their occurrence and extent. A total of 5173 pelvic lymph nodes of 390 patients aged 44 to 79 years (median 68 years, IQR 62-71 years) were histologically examined for degenerative structural changes. Lymph node size, lipomatous atrophy, capsular fibrosis, framework fibrosis, and calcifications were recorded semi-quantitatively and evaluated by age group. Significantly more lymph nodes <10 mm were found in older patients (p = 0.001). The incidence of framework fibrosis, capsular fibrosis, and calcifications increased significantly with increasing patient age (p < 0.001). In lipomatous atrophy, an increase in mild to moderate lipomatous atrophy was observed with increasing age (p < 0.001). In this, the largest study to date on this topic, age-related degenerative changes in pelvic lymph nodes were proven. Due to the consecutive decrease in hte filtration function of pelvic lymph nodes with increasing age, staging and therapy of metastatic pelvic urologic carcinomas should be reconsidered.

Prevalence and Radiographic Features of Head and Neck Soft Tissue Calcifications on Digital Panoramic Radiographs: A Retrospective Study.

Background In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and radiographic features of incidental head and neck soft tissue calcifications (STCs) on panoramic imagesand assess their clinical significance. Methodology Following well-established training and calibration procedures, 9,553 digital panoramic radiographs (DPRs) taken between January 1, 2021, and January 31, 22, were retrospectively evaluated. Only obvious calcifications and clear differential diagnoses were considered. The presence, type, side (i.e., unilateral or bilateral), number (single or multiple), and the presence of different calcifications in the same individual were recorded. STCs were recorded according to age and gender. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test using SPSS version 18.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results Overall, 35.8% of the DPRs studied showed the presence of STCs, including ossified stylohyoid complex (OSHC) (10.3%), thyroid cartilage (9.8%), tonsillolith (9.2%), atherosclerotic plaques (5.8%), calcified triticeous cartilage (CTC) (5.1%), sialolith (1.9%), as well as intra-articular (1.3%) and other calcifications (0.1-0.8%), i.e., calcified lymph node, antrolith, rhinolith, phlebolith, and osteoma cutis. STCs were found to be more prevalent in middle-aged patients and in females. A significant relationship was identified between the presence of carotid artery calcification and calcified superior horn of thyroid cartilage (CSHTC), as well as between the presence of CSHTC and CTC. Calcifications were detected either bilaterally (n = 2,003) or unilaterally (n = 2,388); however, OSHC mostly showed bilateral calcifications (8.5%). Conclusions Panoramic radiographs of dental patients reveal the frequent occurrence of STCs in the head and neck region with differing radiographic features. Certain calcifications show gender and age differences. Accurate detection of STCs may guide the identification of potential underlying diseases and help initiate referral to the relevant multidisciplinary teams.

Spinal arteriovenous malformation with a calcified nodule: illustrative case.

This article describes a rare case of cervical spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) mimicking a neurogenic spinal tumor. A 22-year-old female presenting with a C6-7 AVM with a calcification nodule experienced new-onset acute right upper radiculopathy associated with extradural compression of the spinal cord. Note that spinal AVMs with a calcified nodule are rare. Endovascular embolization is generally used to relieve the symptoms of AVM; however, this procedure cannot relieve cord compression, particularly in cases complicated by calcified nodules. This article discusses treatment options. Decompression surgery is preferable to endovascular embolization because it alleviates symptoms while preventing cord compression and minimizing the risk of recurrence.