---

Serological Widal test is a fast, reliable and easy to perform and this test still is a suitable diagnostic method for diagnosing of typhoidal disease in many clinical laboratories. However, there are some doubtful reports regarding diagnostic value and credibility of this test, which was a motivation for present research. In this study, a total of 378 patients in two groups including 182 typhoidal patients with positive culture for Salmonella Typhi and para-Typhi A, B, C and 196 non-typhoidal febrile patients with negative culture for Salmonella, were studied in Hamadan city during 1994-97. All patients had at least one Widal test. In first group, 52.7% of patients have a titer of ?1:40 using anti-O (A, B, D) and 42.3% of patients also have a titer of ?1:80 using anti-O (A, B, D). In second group, 7.2% of patients have a titer of ?1:40 and 5.6% of them have a titer of ?1:80. In first group, 66.4% of patients had positive blood culture for S.typhi, however, 31.3% of them had positive antibody for OD titer. The results of this study indicated that sensitivity of Widal test for titer of ?1:80 was 86%, specificity 64% and PPV 42% and NPV 95%, therefore the negative Widal test did not have significant effect on the clinical diagnosis of typhoid disease.

---

Background and Objective: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies. Preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis remains challenging, despite improvements in history taking and clinical examination. Methods advocated to assist in the diagnosis of appendicitis include laparoscopy, ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Materials and Methods: This prospective descriptive study was done to evaluate 265 patients suspected to have acute appendicitis and admitted to the emergency department of 5 Azar hospital of Gorgan from Aug 2005 to Aug 2006. Suspected patients visited by the general surgeon and ultrasonography of the appendix was performed subsequently. The ultrasonography examination was done using high graded-compression ultrasongraphy with 5 MHz variable focus linear array transducer. The sonographic data were compared with clinical, operative and pathological findings. Results: The sensivity and specifity of ultrasonography was 66% and 4%, respectively. Also positive and negative predictive value of ultrasonography was 98% and 40%, respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that ultrasonography is a useful method in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. It also increase diagnostic accuracy of acute appendicitis and minimize negative laparotomy and prevent unnecessary appendectomy.

---

Background and Objective: Thyroid masses are one of the most common reasons for patients to visit endocrinology clinics. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is used to reduce thyroid surgery for benign lesions. This study was done to determine the diagnostic accuracy of FNA of thyroid mass(s) compared with histological results in Medical Centers, Gorgan, Iran.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 102 patients (12 males and 90 females) were diagnosed with a thyroid mass and referred for surgery to Medical Centers, Gorgan, Iran during 2020-21. FNA was performed, and the samples were sent to the pathology department for examination. The result of cytology was recorded in the checklist. According to cytology results, some patients were referred for surgery. Then, the surgical pathology results were compared with the cytology findings. In addition, the sensitivity and specificity of the results of the cytology of thyroid masses were calculated compared to the results of pathology.
Results: FNA, mass size, and the patient’s main complaint had a significant relationship with histological results (P<0.05). According to FNA findings compared to pathology, sensitivity was 74%, specificity was 88.1%, positive predictive value was 88.1%, negative predictive value was 74%, false positive rate was 12%, false negative rate was 26%, and accuracy was 80.4%.
Conclusion: FNA remains a key tool in evaluating thyroid nodule(s). Improving FNA techniques is necessary to increase the accuracy of FNA.