The wider application and technical improvement of abdominal imaging procedures in recent years has led to an increasingly frequent detection of adrenal gland masses — adrenal incidentaloma, which have become a common clinical problem and need to be investigated for evidence of hormonal hypersecretion and/or malignancy. Clinical guidelines are the main working tool of a practicing physician. Laconic, structured information about a specific nosology, methods of its diagnosis and treatment, based on the principles of evidence-based medicine, make it possible to give answers to questions in a short time, to achieve maximum efficiency and personalization of treatment. These clinical guidelines include data on the prevalence, etiology, radiological features and assessment of hormonal status of adrenal incidentalomas. In addition, this clinical practice guideline provides information on indications for surgery, postoperative rehabilitation and follow-up.

Bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (BMAH) is a rare cause of Cushing’s syndrome. In this case cortisol production can be regulated by both genetic factors and various molecular mechanisms. The presence of aberrant or overexpression of eutopic receptors on the membrane of adrenal cortex may lead to activation of cAMP/PKA signaling pathways and consequently, pathological stimulation of steroidogenesis. Since proving the effectiveness of unilateral adrenalectomy in BMAH by achievement of stable remission, preoperative clinical and laboratory tests (ligand-induced tests) are no longer of relevant. Nevertheless, in the absence of normalization of the level of cortisol in the postoperative period or its recurrence, subsequent specific targeted medical options can be offered only if expression/hyperexpression predominance of one or another receptor. Their detection becomes possible using more reliable diagnostic methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemical studies (IHC) than clinical laboratory tests. At the moment, PCR has gained a wider application. This article summarizes data on the use of immunohistochemical study in BMAH.

Background Occult thyroid cancer is a particularly rare type of thyroid carcinomas. The absolute majority is presented by papillary thyroid carcinoma. We report a case of a medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) that was detected as a primary tumor neither on preoperative ultrasound examination nor on postoperative morphological examination. Case A 57-year-old patient with no personal or family history of thyroid disease presented to the surgeon with the complaint of swelling in the cervical lymph nodes. Ultrasonography of the thyroid showed a hypoechoic 4 mm zone with peripheral calcification in the right lobe and two suspicious malignant lymph nodes 14×12 mm and 10×7 mm in the right paratracheal region. A blood test revealed no abnormalities in thyroid function (TSH 0.9 mUI/L, fT3 4.25 pmol/l, fT4 10.2 pmol/l). However, the calcitonin (CT) and the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were significantly elevated – 144 pg/ml (N for male <12) and 28 pg/ml (N <5). We performed an ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology from the thyroid nodule with subsequent FNA-CT measurement which showed no signs of MTC (cells, adequate CT level). On the other hand, FNA of the lymph node revealed cytomorphology characteristics of MTC and according to FNA-CT measurement, the CT concentration exceeded the upper reporting range of 2000 pg/ml. We carried out the measurement of stimulated CT. Taking into account the significant CT level increase (0 min – 168 pg/ml, 2 min – 1050 pg/ml, 5 min – 857 pg/ml), we excluded the extrathyroidal CT production. Genetic analysis demonstrated the absence of usual RET mutation. Computed tomography was carried out showing multiple calcifications up to 6 mm in diameter in the lung. On the cervical scan: the right upper paratracheal lymph node (11 mm) and a 6 mm mass with calcification in the structure along the front line of the right main bronchus (at the level of the bifurcation), the rest of the lymph nodes were not enlarged. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection. On the section in the middle third of the lobe, there was a dense, yellowish-grey knot of 5 mm in size and 8 lymph nodes 5-15 mm. Surprisingly the right lobe node was represented by colloid goiter with foci of fibrosis and calcifications. In two of the eight cervical nodes, we identified nodal metastases that contained a component of MTC. The primary tumor was not detected even after thorough and complete pathologic examination and immunohistochemical study of the thyroid. Postoperative CT level (third day after surgery) has fallen to 5.45 pg/ml. Conclusion Metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma without detectable primary tumor is a rare but real occurrence that might be encountered in practice. The lack of malignant findings in the thyroid gland during preoperative examination complicates the diagnostic. Presentation: No date and time listed

Background: Mildly elevated basal calcitonin level (bCT), that suggests a bCT increase up to 100 pg/ml, may testify either medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or reactive thyroid C-cell hyperplasia (CCH). The latter is observed under many conditions such as hypercalcemia, hypergastrinemia, thyroiditis, neuroendocrine tumors (NET), renal end-stage kidney disease, obesity, and smoking. The research is aimed at analyzing the clinical significance of the calcitonin measurement in the fine needle aspiration washout fluid sample (FNA-CT) for screening certain patients with nodular thyroidopathy and elevated bCT. Patients and Methods: 70 patients with mildly elevated bCT (for women 6-100 pg/ml, for men 19-100 pg/ml) underwent ultrasound-guided FNA-CT measurement of the thyroid nodules and healthy lobe tissue. After obtaining a FNA-CT specimen, the needle was washed with 0.5 ml of saline solution. The calcitonin (CT) was measured by ECLIA (LIAISON XL). Results: There were 51 females and 19 males, with a mean age of 46.8 ± 14.4 years (range 16-81). The mean value of bCT was 23.3 ± 19 pg/ml (range: 7-86.5). According to ultrasound, 66 patients (95%) presented with thyroid nodules, in 4 cases previously identified nodes were not confirmed. The mean lesion size was 10.8 ± 4.9 mm (range: 4-26). Thyroid nodules were evaluated by FNA biopsy which revealed according to the Bethesda system category I in 6 cases, II - 44, III - 2, IV - 4, V - 6, and VI - 1. Analyzing FNA-CT results we identified 13 cases (18%) with MTC with low CT level of healthy lobe tissue (1-89.6 pg/ml) and high CT level of the lesion (>2000 pg/ml), which was confirmed by final histological examination. Low CT level from both healthy lobe and the nodule (<20 pg/ml) was observed in 10 cases, we carried out the measurement of stimulated CT to exclude the extrathyroidal CT production, which was confirmed in 1 case. All 4 patients with no nodules possessed significantly higher T-rates (1650-2000 pg/ml). The remaining 43 cases (61%) had an increased CT-level of healthy tissue (>2000 pg/ml) with a lower level from the lesion. Among these patients, the probable predisposing CCH factors were obesity - 8 cases, thyroiditis - 12, NET - 3, hypercalcemia - 3, renal kidney disease - 1, and smoking - 3. These 54 patients were kept under dynamic control. The observation period for patients - 1 year. 4 patients underwent surgical treatment, subsequently, histological examination revealed papillary thyroid cancer, follicular adenoma, colloid goiter against CCH, and CT-producing NET. Conclusion: The measurement of FNA-CT of the healthy lobe tissue may be useful to differentiate MTC and CCH, but requires new data in a major cohort of patients. The disadvantage of this study is the impossibility of CCH histological verification in the follow-up group.

Rare condition characterized by an intensive and excessive breast enlargement is known as gigantomastia. Gestational gigantomastia manifests during pregnancy and could represent a life-threatening condition for both the mother and the fetus, therefore the risk of spontaneous abortion complicates the choice of treatment approach. We present a clinical case of a patient requesting medical assistance with a progressive breast growth. The onset occurred on the 5th week of gestation and, subsequently, was aggravated by distal tissue necrosis. The ambiguity of treatment approach in such situation is based on, on the one hand, the insecurity of watch-and-wait approach due to the high risk of septic complications and, on the other hand, the increasing danger of fetal loss in the case of surgical treatment during the first trimester of pregnancy. After an adequate assessment of mothers health state, a decision was made towards the wait-and-see tactic until the complete formation of the placental barrier. A total bilateral mastectomy was performed at the 19th week of pregnancy, with a favorable outcome for the patient and her child. This case emphasizes the significance of an individual, interdisciplinary approach to the choice of management for patients with this pathology.