Side effects, quality of life, subjective treatment adherence and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores were assessed. Objective treatment adherence was calculated by reading the built-in run time counter of the PAP device. Anthropometric

selleck kinase inhibitor parameters, level of education, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), ESS score and the type of PAP therapy prescribed at the time of the first stay in the sleep lab were collected retrospectively. Results: Median follow-up was 13 months (range 7-18 months). Of 303 patients (69 female, 234 male) available for this study, 191 patients (63%) still used the PAP device regularly (‘users’), while 83 (27.4%) had definitively discontinued PAP treatment (‘nonusers’). In the nonusers group, 29 patients (34.9%) discontinued PAP treatment within the first 3 months. In the users group, subjective PAP usage was 6.6 +/- 1.5 h/night and objective adherence was 4.7 +/- 2.3 h/night. Objective nightly use of PAP treatment correlated significantly with baseline AHI (r = 0.13, p = 0.041) but not with sex, age, body mass index, ESS score or education level. Patients with a low AHI and ESS score and patients without a coexisting ATM/ATR inhibitor medical condition or with

more than two comorbidities tended to discontinue PAP therapy more frequently. Conclusions: PAP treatment adherence has to be optimized in OSAS patients. When initiating PAP therapy, clinicians have to focus on those patients at risk for discontinuing treatment. Education sessions and closer follow-up are possible strategies to improve treatment adherence and to avoid treatment discontinuation. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Central compartment lymph node (CCLN) metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is associated with higher risk of loco-regional recurrence and distant metastasis. This study evaluated the prognostic implication of the number of metastatic CCLN in PTC.

Prospective data collection on 91 patients with PTC who underwent total thyroidectomy

and CCLN dissection with or without lateral neck dissection between January 2005 and December 2010 was made. Number of positive CCLN was correlated with known prognostic factors SNS-032 solubility dmso (age, gender, tumour size, extrathyroidal extension and lateral node metastasis).

Patients were divided into three groups according to the number of positive CCLN: group A = 0 (n = 35); B = 1-2 nodes (n = 32) and C = > 3 nodes (n = 24). The risk of lateral compartment disease increased in parallel with the number of positive CCLN (31 vs. 50 vs. 75 % in groups A-B-C, respectively; p < 0.004). Gender/age/tumour size/extrathyroidal extension did not correlate with number of positive CCLN. The increasing number of positive CCLN did not influence post-ablation iodine uptake (1.25 vs. 1.14 vs. 2.63 %) and correlated with mean thyroglobulin values at 1-year post-ablation (12.3 vs. 42.3 vs. 91.