MATERIAL AND METHODS: The case-control study was conducted among 116 cases identified through passive surveillance systems over three years.The control subjects were 232 living in the same village for more than six months without any history of ST infection were selected by matching to the age (within 5-years) and identified through active surveillance. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v. 25.0 for Windows (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).
RESULTS: The mean age of confirmed persons was 58.1(SD=10.15) years, while control subjects were 56.14 (11.57).There is no significant difference in gender, age, education, and occupations between case and control. Farmers had the most significant number of cases among occupational groups. The three factors that were significantly associated with an increased odds of having ST infection are bundling or moving waste straw (OR: 1.94, 95%CI; 0.99,381), morning exercise in the park or field (OR: 4.74 95%CI; 1.19, 18.95), and working as labourer in the vegetable field (OR:1.02, 95%CI:1.02,3.19).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested establishing a prevention and control strategy for these groups to lower ST development risk.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: 18F-florbetapir PET and 18F-FDG PET imaging was prospectively performed on 78 subjects (20 cognitively healthy controls [HC], 27 MCI patients, and 31 AD patients) within 6 weeks of their neurocognitive assessments. The PET datasets from 19 HCs were used to create an NBD. The 3D-SSP analysis and Z-score mapping of 18F-florbetapir accumulations in the brain were further staged based on their accumulation patterns. Global and regional standard uptake value ratios (SUVRs) of 18Fflorbetapir were calculated using the cerebellar cortex as the normalised region. The relationships between the 18Fflorbetapir PET results, the clinical diagnoses and Thai Mini- Mental State Examination (TMSE) scores were determined.
RESULTS: There was high agreement between the visual assessment results and the semiquantitative analysis (κ = 0.793 and 0.845). The stages of amyloid deposition were consistent with neurocognitive status across participants. Significantly higher SUVRs were found in AD than MCI and HC. Visual assessment and stage were not significantly correlated with TMSE scores. A significant negative correlation between the SUVRs and TMSE scores was partially demonstrated in MCI and AD, but not HC.
CONCLUSIONS: 3D-SSP analysis of 18F-florbetapir PET provides special patterns and intensity of beta amyloid accumulation semi-quantitatively that are associated with the diagnosis and neurocognitive performances in MCI and AD patients.
METHODS: A retrospective, longitudinal study was conducted among paediatric DTC patients treated with RAI in HKL and followed up between 2000-2016. Sixty-five patients were studied (mean period: 58.8±36 months). The clinicopathological data of the patients was recorded, and descriptive analysis was made. The association between categorical and continuous data with disease status was assessed using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests, p-value <0.05 taken as statistically significant.
RESULTS: Most patients were female (78.5%), and adolescents comprised 89.2%. Pre-pubertal age, those presenting with cervical nodal involvement, extra-thyroidal extension and lymphovascular invasion were significantly associated with distant metastases at presentation. There was no mortality reported during the follow-up period. Sixty per cent of patients achieved remission, while 40% had persistent disease. The persistent disease was significantly correlated with distant metastasis at presentation (p=0.025).
CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric DTC manifests with a more extensive disease burden at presentation and requires multiple RAI doses. Despite this, it carries an excellent overall prognosis.
METHODS: Retrospective review of 119 consecutive paediatric patients referred for 18F-FDG-PET/CT at the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the National Cancer Institute, Putrajaya. All had DRE and underwent evaluation at the Paediatric Institute, Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Visually detected areas of 18F-FDG-PET/CT hypometabolism were correlated with clinical, MRI and VEM findings.
RESULTS: Hypometabolism was detected in 102/119 (86%) 18FFDG- PET/CT scans. The pattern of hypometabolism in 73 patients with normal MRI was focal unilobar in 16/73 (22%), multilobar unilateral in 8/73 (11%), bilateral in 27/73 (37%) and global in 5/73 (7%) of patients; whilst 17/73 (23%) showed normal metabolism. In 46 patients with lesions on MRI, 18F-FDG-PET/CT showed concordant localisation and lateralization of the EF in 30/46 (65%) patients, and bilateral or widespread hypometabolism in the rest. Addition of 18FFDG PET/CT impacted decision making in 66/119 (55%) of patients; 24/73 with non-lesional and 30/46 patients with lesional epilepsies were recommended for surgery or further surgical work up, whilst surgery was not recommended in 11/46 patients with lesional epilepsy due to bilateral or widespread hypometabolism. 25 patients subsequently underwent epilepsy surgery, with 16/25 becoming seizure free following surgery.
CONCLUSION: 18F-FDG-PET/CT has an added benefit for the localization and lateralization of EF, particularly in patients with normal or inconclusive MRI.