[Efficacy of prevention of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in thyroid surgery]. / Effektivnost' profilaktiki povrezhdenii vozvratnogo gortannogo nerva pri operatsiyakh na shchitovidnoi zheleze.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of prevention of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury depending on thyroid gland lesion and extent of surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 2412 thyroid surgeries between 2000 and 2020. Patients were divided into the main group (1689 patients) and the control group (729 patients). Patients with nodular thyroid gland lesions prevailed in both groups (987 (58.4%) and 415 (56.9%), respectively). All ones underwent atraumatic extrafascial desection and thyroid resection (ultrasonic scalpel). RESULTS. T: He upper laryngeal nerve injury occurred in 35 cases (1.4%). The number of surgeries with thyroid remnant preservation was significantly lower in the main group. The number of procedures with subtotal thyroid resection and thyroidectomy increased by 2.4 times (from 414 to 1010 operations, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Improvement of surgical treatment of thyroid gland lesions consisting in new operative technique of recurrent laryngeal nerve isolation using ultrasonic scalpel reduces the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury from 2.3% to 1%. At the same time, the number of extended procedures in the main group significantly exceeded that in the control group (by 2.5 times).

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the use of high-energy devices for thyroid surgery.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the role of High Energy Devices (HEDs) versus conventional clamp and tie technique in thyroidectomy. This work is endorsed by the Italian Society of Surgical Endoscopy (Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery and new technologies-SICE) in the broader project on the evaluation of the role of HEDs in different surgical settings with the full health technology assessment report. MEHODS: Inclusion criteria were adult patients (≥ 18 years old) undergoing Thyroidectomy/Parathyroidectomy conducted with High Energy Devices (as ultrasonic (US), radiofrequency (RF), and hybrid energy (H-US/RF)) in the setting of thyroid surgery (both partial and total) for benign and malign diseases. However, some variability was found in included studies and described in the text. This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed according to the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews, and the recommendations of the 2020 updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were pursuit. Selection of abstracts was performed in Ryyan system by 2 independent reviewers, and doubts were solved by another independent reviewer. At the end of literature research, Randomized controlled trials and observational studies were included. Risk of Bias was assessed with ROB2 for RCTs, and New Castle Ottawa Scale for Observational studies. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 47 studies, including 29 RCTs and 18 observational studies. Meta-analysis was performed for 29 randomized clinical trials. Outcomes included in the comparison between High Energy Devise and conventional technique groups were operative time, operative blood loss, overall post-operative drainage volume, length of stay, complications, and costs. HED significantly reduced operative time (28 studies, 3097patients; MD -128.8; 95% CI -34.4 to -23.20; I2 = 96%, p < 0.00001, Random-effect), intra-operative blood loss (13 studies, 642 vs 519 patients; SMD -0.82; 95% CI -1.33 to -0.32; I2 = 93%, p < 0.00001, Random-effect), LOS (22 studies, 2808 vs 2789 patients; MD -0.38, 95% CI -0.59 to -0.17; I2 = 98%, p < 0.00001 Random-effect), and healthcare costs (8 studies, 1138 vs 1129 patients, SMD 1.05; 95% CI -0.06 to 2.16; I2 = 99%, p < 0.00001 Random-effect). The rate of overall intraoperative complications was significantly different between both groups (25 studies, 2804 vs 2775 patients; RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.97; I2 = 38%, p = 0.03 Random-effect), but the sensitivity analysis did not find a statistically significant difference (6 studies, 605 vs 594 patients, RR; 95% CI to; I2 = 0%, p = 0.50, Random-effect). There was no difference in the subgroup analysis for the occurrence of transient and permanent RLN palsy, nor hematoma formation and hypocalcaemia. DISCUSSION: Though findings of our systematic review and metanalysis are limited by heterogeneous data, surgeons, hospital managers, and policymakers should note that the use of High Energy Devices compared to conventional clamp and tie technique have reduced operative times, intra-operative blood loss, length of stay, and hospital costs in patients underwent to tyroid surgery. Future work must explore issues of equity to mitigate barriers to patient access to safe thyroid surgical care and define better this initial results.

Intraoperative Adjuncts in Thyroid Surgery.

Thyroidectomy is relatively safe and often can be done as a minimally invasive procedure. Although they may be associated with a learning curve, thoughtful use of intraoperative adjuncts such as energy devices, recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring, and parathyroid autofluorescence have the potential to make incremental improvements in the safety and efficiency of thyroid surgery. Perhaps many of these adjuncts may be of greatest benefit when used routinely by less experienced surgeons or selectively in higher-risk operations, although their adoption in practice continues to increase overall.

Association of Medicaid expansion with access to thyroidectomy for benign disease at high-volume centers.

BACKGROUND: Insurance-based disparities in access to thyroidectomy are well established. Patients undergoing thyroidectomy by high-volume surgeons have fewer complications and better postoperative outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of Medicaid expansion with access to high-volume centers for thyroidectomy for benign disease. METHODS: The Vizient Clinical Data Base was queried for adult operations for benign thyroid disease from 2010 to 2019. Centers were sorted by volume into quartiles. Difference-in-difference analysis evaluated changes in insurance populations in expansion and non-expansion states after Medicaid expansion. Odds of patients undergoing operations in the 4 volume quartiles after stratifying by insurance and Medicaid expansion status were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 82,602 patients underwent operations at 364 centers. Expansion states increased Medicaid coverage in all volume quartiles compared to non-expansion states after Medicaid expansion (Q1, +4.87%, Q2, +5.35%, Q3, +8.57%, Q4, +4.62%, P < .002 for all). After Medicaid expansion, Medicaid patients had higher odds of undergoing operation at lower volume hospitals compared to the highest volume centers in both expansion states (Q1, ref, Q2, 1.82, Q3, 1.76, Q4, 1.67, P < .001) and non-expansion states (Q1, ref, Q2, 1.54, Q3, 2.04, Q4, 1.44, P < .001). Privately insured patients were most likely to undergo their operation at the highest volume centers in all states (E: Q1, ref, Q2, 0.78, Q3, 0.74, Q4, 0.66, P < .001; NE: Q1, ref, Q2, 0.89, Q3, 0.58, Q4, 0.85, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Medicaid expansion increased Medicaid coverage in expansion states, but Medicaid patients in both expansion and non-expansion states were less likely to be operated on at the highest volume centers compared to privately insured patients. Persistent barriers to accessing high-volume care still exists for Medicaid patients.

Evaluating Patients' Health Literacy to Improve Thyroid Pathology Reports.

INTRODUCTION: As our growing population demonstrates a significant increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer, so does patient access to their medical records. Poor health literacy and understanding of disease severity, underscores the importance of effective and accessible patient-doctor communication. No previous studies on patient understanding of thyroid pathology reports exist; therefore, we sought to characterize health literacy in this population. METHODS: Using a modified Delphi technique, a 12-question multiple-choice survey regarding common pathology terms with possible definitions for each term was synthesized and administered to patients in a high-volume endocrine surgery clinic. Survey results, patient demographics, history of prior thyroid procedure (biopsy or surgery), and self-reported health literacy were collected. Data analysis included t tests, chi-squared, and multivariable linear regression using R. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 54 patients (response rate: 69.8%). On univariate analysis, White race, previous thyroid procedure, and at least a high school level education were all more likely to score higher on the survey than their counterparts (P < 0.05). On multivariable logistic regression for predicting a higher survey score, only race (est: 2.48 [95% confidence interval: 1.01-3.96]) and higher educational attainment (est: 3.98 [95% confidence interval: 2.32-5.64]) remained predictive (P < 0.05). The remaining demographic groups (age, health literacy confidence, and previous thyroid procedure) did not show a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, terms on a thyroid pathology report are poorly understood by patients. This is exacerbated by non-White race and low educational attainment. There is a need for patient-facing pathology education.

Significant role of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D on serum calcium levels after total thyroidectomy: a prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Although active vitamin D (VD) has been used both preoperatively and postoperatively to prevent hypocalcemia risk in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy, the role of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) has not been examined. This study comprehensively investigated the effects of 1,25(OH)2D on calcium (Ca) concentrations after total thyroidectomy. Methods: Serum Ca, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and 1,25(OH)2D levels were measured in 82 patients with thyroid disease before and after surgery. Results: Serum Ca, PTH, and 1,25(OH)2D levels decreased significantly on the morning of the first postoperative day. Notably, the decrease in 1,25(OH)2D concentration was significantly lower than that of PTH concentration (10.5 ± 33.4% vs. 52.1 ± 30.1%, p<0.0001), with 28% of patients showing increases in 1,25(OH)2D. The only factor predicting a postoperative 1,25(OH)2D decrease was a high preoperative 1,25(OH)2D concentration. Postoperative 1,25(OH)2D concentrations, as well as the magnitude and rate of decrease from preoperative levels, showed strong positive correlations with preoperative 1,25(OH)2D concentrations (p<0.0001 for all three variables) but not with PTH concentrations. These findings suggest that 1,25(OH)2D concentrations after thyroidectomy were more strongly dependent on preoperative concentrations than on the effect of PTH decrease and were relatively preserved, possibly preventing sudden severe postoperative hypocalcemia. A high 1,25(OH)2D level was the most important preoperative factor for hypocalcemia (<2 mmol/L; p<0.05) on the first postoperative day; however, only PTH decrease was statistically significant (p<0.001) when intraoperative factors were added. In the PTH >10 pg/mL group, the decrease in 1,25(OH)2D levels was significantly associated with postoperative hypocalcemia (p<0.05). Similarly, in the PTH levels >15 pg/mL group, a decrease in 1,25(OH)2D concentration was a significant factor, and the amount of PTH decrease was no longer significant. Conclusion: 1,25(OH)2D plays an important role in preventing sudden, severe hypocalcemia due to decreased PTH levels after total thyroidectomy, whereas high preoperative 1,25(OH)2D levels are a significant risk factor for postoperative hypocalcemia. Optimizing preoperative protocols to adjust Ca, PTH, and 1,25(OH)2D levels to improve the management of patients undergoing total thyroidectomy and to prevent extreme intraoperative PTH decreases may reduce the risk of hypocalcemia.

[Perioperative management of non-thyroid surgery in patients with thyroid dysfunction].

Thyroid diseases are relatively common in clinical practice. Surgery and use of related drugs may exacerbate the underlying thyroid diseases, increasing the difficulty of perioperative management. However, there is a lack of guidelines and consensus for non-thyroid surgery in patients with thyroid dysfunction. This review mainly summaries the perioperative management of non-thyroid surgery in patients with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism to provide clinical treatment suggestions and reduce the risk of perioperative complications.

Thyroid pyocele with systemic sepsis: a rare clinical scenario.

A late middle-aged woman presented with a large, painful neck mass, with a history of rapid increase of size since 1 week and associated voice change, dyspnoea and odynophagia. Prior radiological investigation showed a multiloculated cystic mass in the left thyroid lobe. Fine needle aspiration revealed a predominant cluster of neutrophils. Blood investigations showed leucocytosis and high blood glucose levels suggestive of sepsis. The patient underwent surgical drainage of the thyroid abscess with total thyroidectomy which was managed through multidisciplinary teamwork between surgeons, haematologists, endocrinologists and anaesthesiologists. In addition, urine culture and thyroid pus culture both showed Escherichia coli growth suggestive of bacterial sepsis. The patient was treated successfully and made a complete recovery following surgery with normalisation of voice.

Effect of thyroid hormone replacement therapy on mortality rate in patients undergoing total or hemithyroidectomy for benign multinodular goitre.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid surgery for benign non-toxic nodular goitre is a common endocrine surgical procedure. It is not known whether thyroid hormone replacement therapy following surgery for benign thyroid disease influences mortality or morbidity rates. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted using national registries in Sweden. Overall mortality and morbidity rates were compared for patients with or without thyroid hormone replacement therapy in patients operated on with hemithyroidectomy or total thyroidectomy for a diagnosis of benign non-toxic nodular goitre. RESULTS: Between 1 July 2006 and 31 December 2017, 5573 patients were included, 1644 (29.5%) patients were operated on with total thyroidectomy and 3929 patients with hemithyroidectomy. In the hemithyroidectomy group, 1369 (34.8%) patients were prescribed thyroid hormone replacement therapy in the follow-up. The patients who underwent hemithyroidectomy and did not use thyroid hormone replacement therapy in the follow-up had a standard mortality ratio of 1.31 (95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.54). The mortality ratio was not increased in patients who underwent total thyroidectomy or hemithyroidectomy and used thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The risk of death analysed by multivariable Cox regression for patients operated on with hemithyroidectomy without later thyroid hormone replacement therapy, adjusted for age and sex, showed an increased hazard ratio of 1.65 (1.19-2.30) compared with hemithyroidectomy with hormone replacement therapy. CONCLUSION: Patients subjected to hemithyroidectomy without later hormone replacement therapy had a 30% higher risk of death compared with the normal Swedish population and a 65% increased risk of death compared with patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy with postoperative hormone replacement therapy.

An Evaluation of Health Literacy in Patients Undergoing Surgical Evaluation for Thyroid Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Health literacy (HL) is the ability to comprehend and apply health information to make informed health-care decisions. Poor HL results in the inability to provide informed consent, medication noncompliance, inconsistent follow-up, and delayed seeking of care. Data about HL in endocrine surgery is currently lacking. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the HL of patients with thyroid disease and identify risk factors for limited HL. METHODS: We evaluated a total of 172 patients with thyroid disease in a single endocrine surgery clinic. HL was determined by the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool, a validated HL screening questionnaire in which patient scores correlate to limited, marginal, or adequate HL. Demographic data including age, sex, race, diagnosis, employment status, and median annual income were obtained. Analysis of variance, t-test, and Chi-square test were used to compare HL between and within each demographic domain. P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Of the 172 patients, 77% had adequate HL, 16% had marginal HL, and 7% had limited HL. Patients with higher education exhibited greater HL (P < 0.001). Ninety-three percent of patients with college/postgraduate degree had adequate HL, while of those with some college only 79% had adequate HL and of those with high school or less only 48.6% had adequate HL. There was minimal variation among age, sex, race, diagnosis, employment status, or income. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with thyroid diseases from the endocrine surgery clinic at our institution have adequate HL. Limited education is a risk factor for low HL.

[Perioperative Management for Patients with Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders].

In recent years, the number of surgical cases involving patients with comorbidities has been increasing due to the aging society. Such patients may have a higher risk of postoperative morbidity or mortality. Therefore, surgeons are required to evaluate the current control status of the comorbidity, and perform appropriate perioperative management to decrease perioperative risk. This article focuses on the preoperative evaluation and management, as well as intraoperative and postoperative management of diabetes mellitus, thyroid dysfunction, which are frequently encountered among patients with metabolic and endocrine disorders, and paraganglioma, which is a rare disease but requires special attention in the field of thoracic surgery.

The clinical and histopathological characteristics of thyroid gland diseases in adolescents requiring surgical treatment: a ten-year follow-up study.

The present research aimed to determine the clinical and pathohistological characteristics of thyroid gland diseases in adolescents who were previously surgically treated at the Endocrine Surgery Center of the University Medical Center of Serbia from 01/01/2001 to 01/01/2011. The study covered 170 patients of both sexes from the population of adolescents (aged 16 to 20 years) with various malignant and benign thyroid gland diseases. The data for this study were extracted from the medical histories of patients and the electronic database of the Center for Endocrine Surgery. Detailed data analysis included diagnosis, symptomatology, surgical intervention type, and disease stage. The following thyroid status parameters were analyzed from preoperative data: thyroxine (T4), thyroxine free fraction (FT4), triiodothyronine (T3), triiodothyronine free fraction (FT3), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). In addition, the pathohistological features of diagnosed thyroid diseases were also determined, with a special focus on the presence of well-differentiated cancers. Papillary carcinomas were the most common of well-differentiated cancers in adolescents over the ten-year follow-up period. Based on the assessed data, total thyroidectomy was the most commonly used type of surgical intervention in these patients. The conducted research provides essential information related to both the biological characteristics and diagnostics of these cancers and their surgical treatment in such a sensitive population. Moreover, research showed that the clinical presentation of thyroid cancer in adolescents is almost identical to that in adults.

Primary hydatid cyst of the thyroid glands: two case reports and a review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Although hydatid cyst remains one of the prevalent parasitic infections in humans, hydatid cyst of the thyroid is extremely rare, even in endemic areas. Here we present two cases of thyroid hydatid cysts. CASE PRESENTATION: A 35 and a 50 year-old Iranian female with a positive history of animal contact were presented with a neck lump without any compressive symptoms. A physical exam revealed neck masses that elevated with swallowing. Thyroid gland ultrasonography showed cystic thyroid lesions, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) suggested a thyroid hydatic cyst. Thyroid lobectomy and isthmectomy were done for the first patient, and near-total thyroidectomy was done for the other. The pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of a hydatid cyst. None of the patients had hydatid cysts in other sites. Patients were discharged without an antiparasitic drug, and no recurrence was detected at the six-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to consider hydatid cysts in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the thyroid gland in endemic areas, especially in people with a positive history of animal contact.

Comparisons of different approaches and incisions of thyroid surgery and selection strategy.

To date, the traditional open thyroid surgery via a low collar incision remains the standard approach for patients undergoing thyroidectomy. However, this conventional approach will inevitably leave patients a neck scar and even cause a variety of complications such as paresthesia, hypesthesia, and other uncomfortable sensations. With the progress in surgical techniques, especially in endoscopic surgery, and the increasing desire for cosmetic and functional outcomes, various new approaches for thyroidectomy have been developed to avoid or decrease side effects. Some of these alternative approaches have obvious advantages compared with traditional surgery and have already been widely used in the treatment of thyroid disease, but each has its limitations. This review aims to evaluate and compare the different approaches to thyroidectomy to help surgeons make the proper treatment strategy for different individuals.

Practice Patterns in the Operative Management of Pediatric Thyroid Disease Across Surgical Specializations.

BACKGROUND: Multiple surgical specializations are involved in the operative management of pediatric thyroid disease, but current practice patterns remain unknown. The objective of this study was to examine current practice patterns in the operative management of pediatric thyroid disease, specifically comparing practices across different surgical specializations including pediatric surgery, pediatric otolaryngology, general surgery, adult otolaryngology, and endocrine-focused general surgery. METHODS: Children 0-18 years-old undergoing thyroid surgery from 2015 to 2019 were identified using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases and State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases across 6 states. Surgeon specialization was determined for all included surgeons. Patient and hospital characteristics were compared across surgical specializations. Clinical outcomes including hypocalcemia/hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, hematoma, and wound infection were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 1241 pediatric thyroidectomies performed by 363 surgeons were included. Procedures were most frequently performed by pediatric surgeons (34.9%). Only 7.2% of procedures were performed by adult general surgeons. There were statistically significant differences in patient age, sociodemographics, surgical indications, and type of procedure performed between specializations (p < 0.05). Endocrine-focused general surgeons had the highest average annual thyroid procedure volume with 78.2 cases/year, and pediatric surgeons and pediatric otolaryngologists had the lowest volumes with 0.7 and 0.6 cases/year, respectively. Overall complication rates were low. CONCLUSIONS: Operative management of pediatric thyroid disease was most frequently performed by pediatric surgery. Pediatric specializations are more likely to operate on low-income, minority children with public insurance and patients with Graves' disease. Overall complications were low. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Management of surgical diseases of thyroid gland indications of the United Italian Society of Endocrine Surgery (SIUEC).

A task force of the United Italian society of Endocrine Surgery (SIUEC) was commissioned to review the position statement on diagnostic, therapeutic and health­care management protocol in thyroid surgery published in 2016, at the light of new technologies, recent oncological concepts, and tailored approaches. The objective of this publication was to support surgeons with modern rational protocols of treatment that can be shared by health-care professionals, taking into account important clinical, healthcare and therapeutic aspects, as well as potential sequelae and complications. The task force consists of 13 members of the SIUEC highly trained and experienced in thyroid surgery. The main topics concern clinical evaluation and preoperative workup, patient preparation for surgery, surgical treatment, non-surgical options, postoperative management, prevention and management of major complications, outpatient care and follow-up.

Bilateral axillo-breast approach robotic thyroidectomy in pediatric patients with thyroid disease and cancer.

PURPOSE: Robotic thyroid surgeries have cosmetic advantages over open surgeries, which are especially important in pediatric patients due to social stigmas from neck scars. The present study describes outcomes in a series of children who underwent bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) robotic thyroidectomy. METHODS: Pediatric patients aged ≤18 years who underwent BABA robotic thyroidectomy between 2014 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Their clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes were evaluated. Surgical completeness was determined by comparing the number of retrieved lymph nodes per compartment to previously reported lymph node quantification. RESULTS: This study included 26 pediatric patients of mean age 15.5 years (range, 5-18 years). Of these 26 patients, 21 (80.8%) had thyroid cancer, with 9 (42.9%) having aggressive tumor pathology. The mean operation time was 157.3 min. No patient needed open conversion. Five patients (19.2%) experienced complications including transient hypoparathyroidism (n = 5), permanent hypoparathyroidism (n = 2), and chyle leakage (n = 1), but none experienced vocal cord palsy. The mean numbers of retrieved lymph nodes at levels IIa, III, IV, Vb, and VI were 3.2, 4.1, 5.6, 1.0, and 9.7, respectively, numbers comparable with the known quantification except for level II, as IIb dissection was omitted in our series. CONCLUSION: BABA robotic thyroidectomy is safe and effective in pediatric patients with thyroid diseases. Most complications were minor and transient, with the operation time similar to robotic thyroidectomy in adults. Surgical completeness was also satisfactory. Robotic thyroidectomy can be considered a surgical option, regardless of patient age or diagnosis.

Comparison of surgical completeness in patients operated on conventional open total thyroidectomy (OT) or trans-axillary robot-assisted total thyroidectomy (RATT) by a single axillary approach.

Trans-axillary robot-assisted total thyroidectomy (RATT) is nowadays worldwide accepted but the completeness obtained by RATT is still debated. The Aim of this study was to compare the completeness and safety of RATT with conventional open thyroidectomy (OT). We enrolled patients with nontoxic multinodular goiter, cytologically indeterminate nodules and well differentiated thyroid cancer without local and/or distant metastasis. In all cases the biggest nodule should be < 6 cm. The surgical completeness was evaluated by means of serum thyroglobulin (hs-Tg) and neck ultrasound (nUS) performed three months postoperatively. 100 patients underwent either RATT or OT. The type of surgical procedure was chosen by patients. They were then divided in two subgroups based on benign or malignant histology. There were no significant differences in the postoperatively values of hs-Tg in patients operated with RATT or OT, both in benign and malignant subgroups. The post-operative thyroid remnant volume estimated by nUS was not significantly different between the two groups, both in benign and malignant subgroups. We also analyzed the difference of the volume of the thyroid remnant ipsilateral to the axillary access vs that of the remnant on the contralateral side and there was not significantly difference in both subgroups. RATT was demonstrated to determine a comparable surgical completeness as OT, both in benign and malignant thyroid diseases, with no differences in the prevalence of surgical complications. In our hands the surgical completeness of RATT by a single trans-axillary was satisfying.

Prophylaxis of postoperative hypoparathyroidism in thyroid surgery.

INTRODUCTION: There are a number of thyroid gland diseases that require surgical treatment. Therefore, it is important to improve the surgical approaches and treatment tactics in patients that need such surgery. AIM: To provide an algorithm to prevent parathyroid gland damage during surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This work was based on treatment results of 226 patients with different thyroid diseases. All patients received extrafascial surgical interventions using modern methodological approaches. For prevention of postoperative hypoparathyroidism, we used the "stress-test", 5-aminolevulenic acid, and a method of double visual-instrumental registration of photosensitizer-induced fluorescence of parathyroid glands. RESULTS: Transient hypoparathyroidism was registered in four (1.8%) cases after surgery. Permanent hypocalcemia in patients was not recorded. Autotransplantation of parathyroid gland was required only in one case (0.44%). A deficiency or low level of vitamin D was detected in 35% of the cases, and in the majority of those cases, it was due to secondary hyperparathyroidism. The deficiency was corrected with the administration of vitamin D in all cases. In 10.17% (23 patients) of cases, there was no proper visual glow effect after administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), which required proceeding to the second part of the proposed method (a helium-neon laser and registration of fluorescence using a laser spectrum analyzer). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed methodological approach allows prevention of persistent hypoparathyroidism and reduces the frequency of transient hypoparathyroidism and other complications in surgical treatment of patients with various thyroid gland diseases.

Incidental papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in consecutive patients undergoing thyroid surgery for benign disease. A single center experience.

BACKGROUND: There has recently been an increase in the incidental histological diagnosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (I-PTMC), that varies from 3.5% in autopsies studies, to 5.2% in thyroid specimens from thyroid surgery, up to 9.4% in patients from areas of endemic goiter. AIM: To evaluate the incidence and the histological characteristics of I-PTMC in patients undergoing thyroidectomy for benign thyroid diseases, and to evaluate sex, age, toxic and non-toxic goiter, Hashimoto's thyroiditis as potential risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study on 124 patients, median age 56.3±13.25sd range 24-80 years, 93(75%)F, 31(25%)M, with surgical indications for toxic and non-toxic uni/multinodular goiters, in pharmacological euthyroidism. An accurate histological examination (HE) of entirely embedding thyroid samples was performed to identify microscopic foci of I-PTCM. Logistic regression analysis of the abovementioned parameters was performed to identify the risk factors. RESULTS: Total incidence of I-PTMC was 15.3%(19/124), with F/M ratio 2:1. All I-PTMCs were intraparenchymal with an intact thyroid capsule; 68.5% were bilateral-multifocal, 21% unilateral-unifocal, 10.5% unilateral-multifocal; maximum diameter was <5mm in 57.9% and ≥5mm in 42.1%; 63.1% were follicular variant, 36.9% classical variant; intra-thyroid lymphatic invasion and lymph node infiltration of the central compartment and para-tracheal was found in the only patient with "tall-cell" classical variant. No risk factors was found. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence higher than that reported in the literature, is probably due to the accurate HE of entirely embedding thyroid samples, which is the most important tool to identify microscopic foci of I-PTCM. The highest reported rate of bilateral multifocality of the neoplasm recommend the total thyroidectomy as surgical treatment of choice, also in patients undergoing thyroid surgery for "presumptive" benign diseases. KEY WORDS: Benign Thyroid Disease, Incidental Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma, I-PTCM, Thyroid Surgery.