Browsing by Author "Pinto, D."

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Adapting surgical services at a tertiary care unit amidst the COVID19 pandemic: a Sri Lankan perspective
(College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, 2020) Chandrasinghe, P.C.; Siriwardana, R.C.; Kumarage, S.K.; Gunetilleke, B.; Weerasuriya, A.; Munasinghe, N.M.; Thilakarathne, S.T.; Pinto, D.; Fernando, R.F.
No Abstract available.
Autonomously functioning thyroid nodule: a patient-based review
(The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, 2021) Pinto, D.; Fernando, R.
Autonomously Functioning Thyroid Nodule (AFTN) is a rare cause of hyperthyroidism. AFTN, first described by Emil Goetsch in 1918, is the presence of a single hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule, which is not under the control of the pituitary/thyroid axis. The current theory on the development of hyperfunctioning nodules is the constitutive activation of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Receptor (TSHR) due to a somatic point mutation and mutations of Gsa. The reported incidence of AFTN is about 1% on the investigation of thyroid nodules. Only about 10% - 30% become hyperfunction. Due to the rarity and lack of understanding of its characteristic clinical behaviour, AFTNs are often overlooked and undertreated. The ensuing review is based on a 36-year-old female who underwent left hemithyroidectomy for an AFTN and is well to date. There are two main issues in the diagnosis and management of AFTN. The first is that the diagnosis is not always made as most patients with AFTNs are functionally euthyroid. The other is the paucity of data in the literature to offer evidence-based individualized management for patients. As there are no tissue diagnostic criteria for AFTN; clinical, biochemical and radiological assessments to establish TSH independent nodular hyperfunction will clinch the diagnosis. Surgery and Radioiodine ablation remain the main forms of treatment for AFTN. Other methods such as percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT), laser ablation (LA), radiofrequency ablation (RFA) have a limited role in the management of an AFTN. The newer methods alluded to above will need further evaluation and a better definition of exact roles in the management of an AFTN.
A Comparative international study on the management of acute appendicitis between a developed country and a middle income country
(Elsevier, 2014) Markar, S.R.; Pinto, D.; Penna, M.; Karthikesalingam, A.; Bulathsinhala, B.K.S.; Kumaran, K.; Hashemi, M.; Fernando, R.
BACKGROUND: In the past decade there has been an exponential increase in the use of Computerised Tomography (CT) imaging in the assessment of patients with acute appendicitis. The aim of this study was to compare management approaches and clinical outcomes of acute appendicitis in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. METHODS: Data was collected prospectively from 400 patients referred to the General Surgical department with a differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis, 200 at University Kelaniya Sri Lanka (SL group), and 200 at University College London Hospital (UK group). RESULTS: The groups were similar with respect to gender, but the SL group was younger. Preoperative work-up included ultrasound more commonly in SL patients, and CT more commonly in UK patients. More patients underwent appendicectomy in the SL group, however a laparoscopic approach was utilised more often in the UK group (50.5% vs. 11.9%). Post-operative complications were similarly represented in both groups, but re-admission occurred with greater frequency in the UK group (16.2% vs. 0%). Histologically confirmed appendicitis was seen in a significantly greater proportion of SL patients (93.1% vs. 79.8%). Multivariate analysis confirmed male gender, and diagnosis and treatment in Sri Lanka to be only factors significantly associated with positive appendicitis. DISCUSSION: Expensive investigations such as CT do not appear to improve the diagnostic accuracy of appendicitis or prevent complications. This study suggests diagnostic and treatment algorithms in the SL hospital are more accurate and efficient in confirming appendicitis than those seen in the UK hospital under investigation. Copyright © 2014 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ectopic pancreatic rest in the stomach
(College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, 2020) Pinto, D.; Kumarage, S.; Mahendra, G.
No abstract available
Incidental thyroid cancer in the pyramidal lobe and implications for thyroidectomy
(The Sri Lanka Medical Associtation, 2022) Pinto, D.; Mahendra, G.; Fernando, R.
The embryological remnants (ERs) must be removed to achieve a safe and complete ‘total’ thyroidectomy. Residual ERs, after thyroidectomy, may cause recurrence of the initial pathology. This poses management dilemmas, including a difficult reoperation. Active search and removal of the ERs intraoperatively is essential. Primary overt malignancy is rare in ERs. Literature reports several cohort studies of same. The incidence of a micropapillary carcinoma in an ER has not been reported and this brief report describes two patients with Incidental micropapillary carcinoma in the pyramidal lobe, reiterating the need to make removal of ERs the accepted norm in total thyroidectomies.
Incidental thyroid carcinoma in benign thyroid disease: A Cohort study
(World Journal of Endocrine Surgery., 2018) Pinto, D.; Munasinghe, N.; Chandrasinghe, P.C.; Fernando, R.
ABSTRACT: AIM: An incidental thyroid carcinoma (ITC) is a thyroid malignancy that is not clinically or cytologically detected preoperatively. The incidence of ITC is between 10% to 20% in the literature. A study was undertaken to assess the incidence of ITC in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for benign disease of the thyroid to University Surgical Unit, North Colombo Teaching Hospital (NCTH), Sri Lanka. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort study was undertaken from November, 2002 to October, 2015. Patients with palpable thyroid nodules were assessed with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and ultrasound scan (USS) to ascertain benign thyroid disease (BTD). Hormone assays were conducted to detect thyroid status. All patients with BTD who underwent total thyroidectomy were included in the study. Histopathological assessments were made by a panel of pathologists. Patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) were excluded due to the known association with malignancy of the thyroid. Post-thyroidectomy histopathological diagnoses were collected prospectively and patients with ITC were identified. Statistical analysis was done using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) software, version 20. RESULTS: Hundred and sixty seven patients (n = 167) who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were analysed (Male–20, female–147, median age = 40.25 year, range 28 year–62 year). ITC was found in 19 patients with an incidence of 11.38%. No significant association was noted with morphology, biochemical status of the thyroid or gender. CONCLUSION: Incidence of ITC is 11.38% in this cohort. Incidence of ITC being approximately 1:10 emphasizes the need to consider total thyroidectomy in the management of BTD.
Nearly half of patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer may be amenable to immunotherapy.
(MDPI AG, 2024) Chern, B.; Pinto, D.; Lum, J.H.; Parameswaran, R.
IMPORTANCE Poorly differentiated cancer (PDC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) have an aggressive course of disease with limited treatment options. The expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has been used to determine the responses of many cancers to immunotherapy. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of PD-L1 in a cohort of patients with PDC and ATC to assess their suitability for immunotherapy. Data, settings, and participants: This study is a retrospective cohort review of patients treated for PDC and ATC treated at a tertiary referral institution during the period 2000-2020. PD-L1 22C3 pharmDx qualitative immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens of tumours to detect the presence of the PD-L1 protein.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The percentage of tumours that were positive for PD-L1 immunohistochemistry and the PD-L1 protein expression as measured by using the Tumour Proportion Score (TPS). Secondary outcomes studied were the associations between demographic, clinicopathological, treatment and disease outcomes and PD-L1 expression.RESULTS Nineteen patients (12F:7M) with a mean age of 65.4 (±14.3 SD) years were diagnosed with PDC in 4 (21%) and fifteen were diagnosed with ATC (79%) during the study period. Fifteen (79%) patients underwent some form of surgery, with R0 resection achieved in only three of the fifteen (20%) patients. Overall, PD-L1 expression was seen in seven of the fifteen (47%) of the patients with ATC, with no positivity seen in the patients with PDC. PD-L1 expression had no impact on treatment modality and positive expression was not significantly associated with stage of disease, metastasis, or survival.CONCLUSION Nearly half of patients with ATC express PD-L1 and may be amenable to immunotherapy with pembrolizumab.
A Novel structure for online surgical undergraduate teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic
(BioMed Central., 2020) Chandrasinghe, P.C.; Siriwardana, R.C.; Kumarage, S.K.; Munasinghe, B.N.L.; Weerasuriya, A.; Tillakaratne, S.; Pinto, D.; Gunetilleke, B.; Fernando, F.R.
BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated the delivery of online higher education. Online learning is a novel experience for medical education in Sri Lanka. A novel approach to undergraduate surgical learning was taken up in an attempt to improve the interest amongst the students in clinical practice while maximizing the limited contact time. METHOD: Online learning activity was designed involving medical students from all stages and multi consultant panel discussions. The discussions were designed to cover each topic from basic sciences to high-level clinical management in an attempt to stimulate the student interest in clinical medicine. Online meeting platform with free to use basic plan and a social media platform were used in combination to communicate with the students. The student feedback was periodically assessed for individual topics as well as for general outcome. Lickert scales and numeric scales were used to acquire student agreement on the desired learning outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 1047 student responses for 7 questionnaires were analysed. During a 6-week period, 24 surgical topics were discussed with 51 contact hours. Eighty-seven per cent definitely agreed (highest agreement) with the statement 'students benefitted from the discussions'. Over 95% have either participated for all or most sessions. A majority of the respondents (83.4%) 'definitely agreed' that the discussions helped to improve their clinical sense. Of the total respondents, 79.3% definitely agreed that the discussions helped to build an interest in clinical medicine. Around 90% agreed that both exam-oriented and clinical practice-oriented topics were highly important and relevant. Most widely raised concerns were the poor Internet connectivity and limitation of access to the meeting platform. CONCLUSION: Online teaching with a novel structure is feasible and effective in a resource-limited setting. Students agree that it could improve clinical interest while meeting the expected learning outcomes.
Predictive ability of rule of 3's in parathyroid cancer : outcomes from a South Asia cohort
(Karger, 2024) Pinto, D.; Dhanda, M.; Agarwal, A.; He, G.H.; Chia, J.L.L.; Parameswaran, R.
BACKGROUND Preoperative diagnosis of parathyroid cancer (PC) where possible allows for en-bloc resection of the tumour, which is associated with excellent prognosis. The rule of >3 (size of tumour larger than 3 cm; corrected calcium more than 3 mmol/L) as proposed by Schulte and Talat has a specificity of 95% in predicting malignancy in parathyroid neoplasms. We looked at the impact of rule of 3 in predicting malignancy and outcomes on intervention in a South Asian cohort.METHODS Patients who underwent parathyroid surgery between 2010 and 2023 at two tertiary referral centres were assessed. Patients with PC were selected and their clinicopathological parameters, treatment modalities, and outcomes were analysed.RESULTS Thirteen of 336 (3.8%) patients with a mean age of 61.8 (±17.5) years were diagnosed with PC during the study period. The highest mean preoperative values were PTH (92.4 ± 66.27 pmol/L), highest corrected calcium (3.21 ± 0.28 mmol/L), and alkaline phosphatase (419 IU/mL). Nine patients underwent en-bloc excision while the other had focussed parathyroidectomy. Recurrences were recorded in 2 (28.5%) patients over a mean follow-up period of 69 (±48.6) months. One patient with lung metastasis underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery. There was no disease specific mortality in this cohort during the study period.CONCLUSIONS In our experience, the predictive rule of 3 has low sensitivity to suspect PC preoperatively, resulting in limited usefulness in clinical practice. Outcomes appear to be less favourable with higher recurrence rates in cases where less than en-bloc resection is performed.