MyMedR

Fulltext Rapid reversal of subclinical hyperthyroidism in patients with large multinodular goitres after thyroidectomy

Lum SK

Med J Malaysia, 2013 Oct;68(5):439-40.

A patient is said to have subclinical hyperthyroidism if he has a depressed thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level but is clinically euthyroid and has a normal thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) level. The aetiology of this condition is unknown, its progression is uncertain and the value of treatment is doubtful. These 2 cases show a rapid reversal of TSH suppression within a week after thyroidectomy. This suggest an unidentified potent but innocuous suppressor of TSH is produced by some large nodular goitres. Patients with multinodular goitres with subclinical hyperthyroidism can have their anxiety allayed with assurance that their condition is benign and that their TSH suppression is due to the presence of an innocuous substance which is protective in nature. This substance, when isolated, will find a useful place in the prevention and treatment of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid because of its potent effect on the pituitary-thyroid axis without causing any peripheral effects.

Evolving a common surgical curriculum for ASEAN nations with a public health approach

Lum SK

ANZ J Surg, 2013 Mar;83(3):118-21.

PMID: 23320799 DOI: 10.1111/ans.12055

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on medical practitioners' agreement will become a reality in the year 2015. Doctors registered in one ASEAN country will be given reciprocal recognition in another country under this agreement. Rapid and excessive movement of human resources between countries in a short span of time is undesirable and can be destabilizing. The surgical fraternity in the ASEAN countries should plan for a common surgical curriculum, a common examination and an ASEAN Board of Surgery so that standards of future trainees in different countries are comparable. The curriculum should take into consideration the diversity of the countries in socio-economic development. Ideally, it should be based on a public health approach to bring affordable quality surgical care to the masses in an efficient and effective manner.

Fulltext A comparative study of surgical training in South East Asia, Australia and the United Kingdom

Lum SK, Crisostomo AC

Asian J Surg, 2009 Jul;32(3):137-42.

PMID: 19656752 DOI: 10.1016/S1015-9584(09)60384-5

A survey of the current status of surgical training in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Thailand, in comparison with the UK and Australia, was done to explore the possibility of cross border training in South East Asia (SEA).

Fulltext Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the middle ear presenting with aural polyp and facial nerve palsy

Vasiwala R, Burud I, Lum SK, Saren RS

Med J Malaysia, 2015 Oct;70(5):314-5.

PMID: 26556123 MyJurnal

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare tumour in the middle ear and mastoid cavity in children and the diagnosis is difficult. Repeated histological examination may be essential to confirm the diagnosis. We report a 6 year old boy with a left aural polyp, otorrhoea and facial nerve palsy who was initially thought to have otitis media and mastoiditis. He had polypectomy and the tissue taken for histopathology suggested an inflammatory condition. Subsequently he had mastoidectomy. Tissue taken during mastoidectomy was however reported as rhabdomyosarcoma. The child developed a cerebral abscess and eventually succumbed. A literature review of the disease, radiological findings, immunohistochemical features and treatment options is described.

Gene expression profiling of giant fibroadenomas of the breast

Yin Lee JP, Thomas AJ, Lum SK, Shamsudin NH, Hii LW, Mai CW, et al.

Surg Oncol, 2021 Jun;37:101536.

PMID: 33677364 DOI: 10.1016/j.suronc.2021.101536

INTRODUCTION: Fibroadenomas of the breast present as two phenotypic variants. The usual variety is 5 cm or less in diameter and there is another large variant called giant fibroadenoma which is greater than 5 cm in diameter. Despite of its large size, it is not malignant. The aim of our study is to determine whether this large variant is different from the usual fibroadenoma in terms of its biological pathways and biomarkers.

METHODS: mRNA was extracted from 44 fibroadenomas and 36 giant fibroadenomas, and transcriptomic profiling was performed to identify up- and down-regulated genes in the giant fibroadenomas as compared to the fibroadenomas.

RESULTS: A total of 40 genes were significantly up-regulated and 18 genes were significantly down-regulated in the giant fibroadenomas as compared to the fibroadenomas of the breast. The top 5 up-regulated genes were FN1, IL3, CDC6, FGF8 and BMP8A. The top 5 down-regulated genes were TNR, CDKN2A, COL5A1, THBS4 and BMPR1B. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found to be associated with 5 major canonical pathways involved in cell growth (PI3K-AKT, cell cycle regulation, WNT, and RAS signalling) and immune response (JAK-STAT signalling). Further analyses using 3 supervised learning algorithms identified an 8-gene signature (FN1, CDC6, IL23A, CCNA1, MCM4, FLT1, FGF22 and COL5A1) that could distinguish giant fibroadenomas from fibroadenomas with high predictive accuracy.

CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that the giant fibroadenomas are biologically distinct to fibroadenomas of the breast with overexpression of genes involved in the regulation of cell growth and immune response.

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