http://www.sage-hindawi.comThe latest articles from SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research© 2010, SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research. All rights reserved.http://www.sage-hindawi.com/journals/jtr/2010/759109.htmlFine needle aspiration biopsy is the most feasible, safe, and accurate diagnostic tool for thyroid nodule diagnosis. The development of a sinus tract between thyroid gland and the skin through needle tract after fine needle aspiration biopsy is an extremely uncommon phenomenon. In this paper, a 71-year-old man presenting with a swelling and discharge on the anterior neck wall was reported. Similar complaints were present 15 to 20 days after fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid gland four years ago. Bilateral total thyroidectomy was performed considering a thyroid malignancy infiltrating the skin. Histopathologic examination confirmed a sinus tract between the thyroid gland and skin and thyroid nodule was benign in nature. It must be kept in mind that inflammatory reactions might also occur after fine needle aspiration biopsy of benign thyroid nodules. In patients with needle biopsy-related inflammation, surgery may be delayed until the inflammation subsides.Lutfi Dogan, Niyazi Karaman, Ali Kucuk, Cihangir Ozaslan, Can Atalay, and Sait Celebioglu© 2010, SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research. All rights reserved.http://www.sage-hindawi.com/journals/jtr/2010/897602.htmlRelationship between postpartal fatty liver and thyroid gland activity during the peripartal and mid dry periods was studied. Twenty one dry cows were chosen. Blood samples were obtained on days −30, −2, and +12 related to calving and analized for thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). A T3/T4 ratio was calculated. Liver tissue samples were taken 12 d after calving and tested for the lipid content. Cows were divided into three groups: mild (<20% fat), moderate (20 to 30%), or severe fatty liver (>30%). Cows, that were affected with severe fatty liver, were hypothyroid prior to development of the condition due to lower T4 concentrations, and had significantly lower concentration of T3 and higher T3/T4 ratios than cows with mild and moderate fatty liver. Thus, hypothyroid state during mid-dry period may be an early indicator of postpartal fatty liver and may provoke T3/T4 ratio increase in this group of cows.Horea Šamanc, Velibor Stojić, Danijela Kirovski, Milijan Jovanović, Horia Cernescu, and Ivan Vujanac© 2010, SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research. All rights reserved.http://www.sage-hindawi.com/journals/jtr/2010/840469.htmlIntroduction. We present a case of an 89-year-old female who attended our surgical endocrine clinic with a 3-month history of a left-sided neck lump. There was no past medical history of thyroid disease. Methods. Following examination and further investigation, including core biopsy, a diagnosis of plasma cell granuloma of the thyroid was made. Biochemical testing of thyroid function and Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody was in-keeping with an associated Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Results. The patient was treated conservatively with thyroxine and regularly seen in clinic. TSH levels improved and the lump showed signs of regression. Conclusion. Plasma cell granuloma of the thyroid is rare with only 16 previously reported cases. We present a new approach to management without the use of surgery or steroids. The literature is reviewed comparing clinico-pathological features and management of other reported cases.W. A. Barber, M. Fernando, and D. R. Chadwick© 2010, SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research. All rights reserved.http://www.sage-hindawi.com/journals/jtr/2010/101948.htmlPrevious studies of congenital hypothyroidism have suggested an increasing incidence and seasonal variation in incidence, which may suggest nongenetic factors involved in aetiology. This study describes the incidence of elevated thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) values in newborns, a surrogate for congenital hypothyroidism, measured as part of the screening programme for congenital hypothyroidism, over an eleven-year period (1994–2005), and assesses whether seasonal variation exists. All infants born in the Northern Region of England are screened by measuring levels of circulating TSH using a blood spot assay. Data on all 213 cases born from 1994 to 2005 inclusive were available. Annual incidence increased significantly from 37 per 100,000 in 1994 to a peak of 92.8 per 100,000 in 2003. There was no evidence of seasonal variation in incidence. The reasons for the increasing incidence are unclear, but do not appear to involve increasing exposure to seasonally varying factors or changes in measurements methods.Mark S. Pearce, Murthy Korada, Julie Day, Steve Turner, David Allison, Mohammed Kibirige, and Tim D. Cheetham© 2010, SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research. All rights reserved.http://www.sage-hindawi.com/journals/jtr/2010/619013.htmlLoss-of-function mutations of the PAX8 gene are considered to mainly cause congenital hypothyroidism (CH) due to thyroid hypoplasia. However, some patients with PAX8 mutation have demonstrated a normal-sized thyroid gland. Here we report a CH patient caused by a PAX8 mutation, which manifested as iodide transport defect (ITD). Hypothyroidism was detected by neonatal screening and L-thyroxine replacement was started immediately. Although 123I scintigraphy at 5 years of age showed that the thyroid gland was in the normal position and of small size, his iodide trapping was low. The ratio of the saliva/plasma radioactive iodide was low. He did not have goiter; however laboratory findings suggested that he had partial ITD. Gene analyses showed that the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) gene was normal; instead, a mutation in the PAX8 gene causing R31H substitution was identified. The present report demonstrates that individuals with defective PAX8 can have partial ITD, and thus genetic analysis is useful for differential diagnosis.Wakako Jo, Katsura Ishizu, Kenji Fujieda, and Toshihiro Tajima© 2010, SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research. All rights reserved.