Endemic goitre is a major concern in many parts of the world, including Southeast Asia. Goitrous thyroid lesion is postulated as a precursor lesion to thyroid cancer (TC). This paper reviews the prevalence rates and characteristics of TC among cases of goitrous thyroid-swelling in different parts of Malaysia and Myanmar. Recorded data from hospital-based retrospective studies of thyroid cases, whose study periods ranged from three to 11 years, were analysed. These included research findings from the author's publications as well as other published review articles of retrospective analyses. The incidence of TC varies among gender, age, race/ethnicity and histological type. There appears to be a higher rate of occurrence among females aged 21-60 years. Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the more common histological type compared to follicular cancer. This review also presents a descriptive analysis and discussion on studies conducted in other countries. Further exploration is warranted in order to uncover the possible risk factors for the rising incidence of TC.
This is a retrospective case study of a 61-year-old woman diagnosed with follicular thyroid carcinoma. The patient underwent thyroidectomy for the treatment of goitre after being admitted for shortness of breath. Microscopic and immunohistochemical studies were performed, which confirmed follicular carcinoma of the thyroid with an insular component. We also conducted a review of the literature on this uncommon entity.
INTRODUCTION:
In line with the trend to engage students in active learning, it is imperative to introduce new strategies that make learning more interesting, especially in undergraduate curricula. This study aimed to determine students' performance and perception in pathology crosswords as an active way of learning and to assess their ability to memorise difficult terms in pathology.
METHODS:
A crossword competition in pathology was conducted for two batches (year 2009 and 2010) of Phase 2 medical students in Malaysia. Crossword puzzles were prepared using an online application. Two sets of puzzles were prepared, with 20 questions for the assessment of general pathology and 20 for systemic pathology. The purpose was to compare the students' recent and remote memorising abilities, as general pathology was taught a year before proceeding to systemic pathology teaching. There were 12 groups per batch, with 8-10 students in a group. Survey questionnaires were used to assess the students' perception of the competition. Descriptive analysis was performed for comparison of performance.
RESULTS:
The mean score of correctly answered questions in general pathology was 12.75 and 11.50 in batch 2009 and 2010, respectively. The mean score for systemic pathology was 14.50 in 2009 and 13.83 in 2010. Students in the 2009 batch performed better, but this was not statistically significant (p-value > 0.05). A positive response was observed from the questionnaires.
CONCLUSION:
Applying crossword puzzles as a new strategy is a useful and easy way for undergraduate medical students to learn pathology.
INTRODUCTION: Assessment is an important factor that drives student learning, as students tend to mainly focus on the material to be assessed. The current practice in teaching pathology extensively applies objective-structured practical examination for the assessment of students. As students will have to deal with real patients during clinical years, it is preferred that students learn and practise via potted specimens and slides instead of picture plates. This study aimed to assess the preferred assesment method of pathology practical exercises.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey carried out in two consecutive batches of Phase 2 medical students. Student competency was assessed using both the traditional (TD) (i.e. use of potted specimens and slides) and picture plate (PP) methods. To compare the two assessment methods, we compared the mean scores obtained by the students and examined student perception of the two methods.
RESULTS: The mean scores obtained via the PP method were significantly higher than those obtained via the TD method for almost all the components tested.
CONCLUSION: We found that students performed significantly better (p < 0.05) when assessed using the PP method instead of the TD method. PP preparations might provide better visuals, thus aiding understanding, than the TD method. The findings of this study are valuable in identifying and improving our current teaching and assessment methods of medical students, in line with advancements in information technology.
INTRODUCTION: Galectin-3 is a member of the beta-galactoside-binding protein family that plays an important role in cell-to-cell adhesion and in cell-to-matrix interaction. Cellular expression of galectin-3 is correlated with cancer aggressiveness and metastasis.
METHODS: We examined the differential expression of galectin-3 in a collection of 142 cases of thyroid lesions, including 108 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and 34 cases of follicular carcinoma (FCA). An immunohistochemical method was applied and semiquantitative scoring was performed on the staining intensity of the positive tissue. Scoring was done on cells at the central portion of the tumour foci and on cells at the periphery that were adjacent to the neighbouring normal thyroid tissue matrix.
RESULTS: A significantly higher expression (p is 0.001) of galectin-3 was observed in the advancing peripheral thyroid cancer cells compared to the centrally located cells that were not in close contact with the neighbouring stromal tissue in cases with PTC compared to those with FCA.
CONCLUSION: This finding supported the role of galectin-3 in its cell-to-cell adhesion and cell-to-matrix interaction. Galectin-3 is a potential tumour marker for indicating local and distance metastasis, especially in cases with PTC.
Thyroid cancer is the most common among all endocrine malignancies. The worldwide prevalence of goitre in the general population is estimated at 4-7 percent and the incidence of malignancy in goitrous thyroid is about ten percent. It is postulated that goitrous thyroid is a precursor lesion to the development of malignant thyroid diseases. As Sarawak is a state well known for endemic goitre, this study focused on establishing the incidence of thyroid malignancy among goitrous thyroid swellings.