Philip I. Haigh

CONTEXT: The epidemiology of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) has generally been studied in Caucasian populations. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the incidence and prevalence of PHPT within a racially mixed population. DESIGN: A descriptive epidemiologic study was performed. PATIENTS/SETTING: The study population included 3.5 million enrollees within Kaiser Permanente Southern California. METHODS: All patients with at least one elevated serum calcium level (>10.5 mg/dL, 2.6 mmol/L) between 1995 and 2010 were included. Cases of PHPT were identified by electronic query of laboratory values using biochemical criteria, after exclusion of secondary or renal and tertiary hyperparathyroidism cases. The incidence and prevalence rates of PHPT were calculated according to sex, race, age group by decade, and year. RESULTS: Initial case finding identified 15,234 patients with chronic hypercalcemia, 13,327 (87%) of which had PHPT as defined by elevated or inappropriately normal parathyroid hormone levels. The incidence of PHPT fluctuated from 34 to 120 per 100,000 person-years (mean 66) among women, and from 13 to 36 (mean 25) among men. With advancing age, incidence increased and sex differences became pronounced (incidence 12-24 per 100,000 for both sexes younger than 50 y; 80 and 36 per 100,000 for women and men aged 50-59 y, respectively; and 196 and 95 for women and men aged 70-79 y, respectively). The incidence of PHPT was highest among blacks (92 women; 46 men, P < .0001), followed by whites (81 women; 29 men), with rates for Asians (52 women, 28 men), Hispanics (49 women, 17 men), and other races (25 women, 6 men) being lower than that for whites (P < .0001). The prevalence of PHPT tripled during the study period, increasing from 76 to 233 per 100,000 women and from 30 to 85 per 100 000 men. Racial differences in prevalence mirrored those found in incidence. CONCLUSIONS: PHPT is the predominant cause of hypercalcemia and is increasingly prevalent. Substantial differences are found in the incidence and prevalence of PHPT between races.

PURPOSE: Immediate complete axillary lymphadenectomy (ALND) after sentinel lymphadenectomy (SLND) has confirmed that tumor-negative sentinel nodes accurately predict tumor-free axillary nodes in breast cancer. Therefore, we hypothesized that SLND alone in patients with tumor-negative sentinel nodes would achieve axillary control, with minimal complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between October 1995 and July 1997, 133 consecutive women who had primary invasive breast tumors clinically </= 4 cm in diameter and no axillary lymphadenopathy were prospectively entered onto a trial of SLND using vital blue dye. Sentinel nodes were examined by standard microscopy or immunohistochemistry. SLND was the only axillary surgery if sentinel nodes were tumor-free. Completion ALND was performed only if sentinel nodes contained metastases or if they were not identified. Excluded from subsequent analysis were patients with unsuspected multifocal carcinoma and those who refused completion ALND. The complication and axillary recurrence rates after SLND without ALND were determined. RESULTS: Sentinel nodes were identified in 132 (99%) of 133 patients. Eight patients were excluded from further analysis. Of the 125 assessable patients, 57 had tumor-positive sentinel nodes and one had an unsuccessful mapping procedure; these patients underwent completion ALND. In the remaining 67 patients (54%), SLND was the only axillary procedure. Complications occurred in 20 patients (35%) undergoing ALND after SLND but in only two patients (3%) undergoing SLND alone (P =.001). There were no local or axillary recurrences at a median follow-up of 39 months. CONCLUSION: Complication rates are negligible after SLND alone. An absence of axillary recurrences supports SLND as an accurate staging alternative for breast cancer and suggests that routine ALND can be eliminated for patients with histopathologically negative sentinel nodes.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine factors that contribute to chronic anal fistula or recurrent sepsis after initial perianal abscess. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients with a first-time perianal abscess who were treated at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles between 1995 and 2007. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazards model to determine predictors of risk for recurrent disease. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight patients met inclusion criteria (105 men, 43 women; mean age, 43.6 years). During a mean follow-up of 38 months, the cumulative incidence of chronic anal fistula or recurrent sepsis was 36.5 percent. Univariate and multivariable analyses showed more than two-fold increased risk of recurrence in patients <40 years vs. those >/=40 years (P < 0.01), and univariate analysis showed nondiabetics were 2.69 times as likely to experience recurrence as diabetics (P = 0.04). No significant differences in risk of recurrence were noted for men vs. women (HR = 0.78; P = 0.39), nonsmokers vs. smokers (HR = 1.17; P = 0.58); perioperative antibiotics vs. no antibiotics (HR = 1.51; P = 0.19); or HIV-positive vs. HIV- negative status (HR = 0.72; P = 0.44). CONCLUSIONS: Age younger than 40 years significantly increased risk of chronic anal fistula or recurrent anal sepsis after a first-time episode of perianal abscess. Patients with diabetes may have a decreased risk compared with nondiabetic patients. Gender, smoking history, perioperative antibiotic treatment, and HIV status were not risk factors for chronic anal fistula or recurrent anal sepsis.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) has been dismal. The objective of this study was to identify prognostic factors in patients who had prolonged survival. METHODS: Patients with ATC were identified from a computer database at a tertiary referral center. Univariate and multivariate analyses for survival differences were performed using the Kaplan-Meier log-rank statistic and the Cox proportional hazards model, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 33 evaluable patients, median survival was 3.8 months. Median age was 69 years. Prior goiter was present in 6 patients (18%), and 6 (18%) had prior thyroid carcinoma. Median tumor size was 6 cm, and 12 (36%) had adjacent well-differentiated carcinoma. Of the 26 patients who underwent neck exploration, 8 patients were potentially cured and received postoperative chemotherapy and irradiation; 4 (50%) were surgically macroscopically free of disease, and 4 (50%) patients had minimal residual disease after total thyroidectomy and resection of tumor adherent to adjacent structures. Four of these 8 patients survived longer than 2 years; their 5-year survival estimate was 50%. Eighteen patients underwent palliative resection of neck disease, leaving macroscopic residual disease or distant metastases; postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and irradiation were administered in 16 of these 18 patients. Seven patients were treated with only chemotherapy and irradiation. In patients treated with potentially curative resection, median survival was 43 months compared with 3 months with palliative resection (P =0.002); the median survival of 3.3 months with only chemotherapy and irradiation was no different than palliative resection (P =0.63). No association was found between survival and age, prior goiter, prior thyroid carcinoma, adjacent differentiated carcinoma, or tumor size. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prognosis of most patients with ATC continues to be poor, complete resection of ATC combined with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and irradiation resulted in long-term survival, even with persistent minimal disease that remained on vital structures. An aggressive attempt at maximal tumor debulking followed by adjuvant therapy was found to be warranted in patients with localized ATC.