Litigation in thyroid surgery: a pan-specialty review of National Health Service (UK) data.

OBJECTIVE: Thyroid surgery carries risks that significantly impact patients. This paper describes the landscape of thyroid surgery related litigation claims in the National Health Service from April 2015 to April 2020, to establish learning points in order to improve patient care and minimise litigation risk. METHODS: Data were requested from National Health Service Resolution and Hospital Episode Statistics. Claims were classified into operative and non-operative causes. Subspecialty information, incident details and claim costings were analysed. RESULTS: Sixty claims were identified. Thirty-eight claims (63.3 per cent) were closed, with an average total claim cost of £68 816 and average damages paid of £36 349. Claims related to diagnostic issues were most common (n = 19); of claims associated with operative causes (n = 30), those relating to nerve injury were most common (n = 8), with issues of nerve monitoring and consent being cited. CONCLUSION: Utilisation of well-established protocols will likely reduce litigation in thyroid surgery, as we move towards a landscape in which the patient journey is thoroughly scrutinised for targeted improvements.

Viral Infectivity in Patients Undergoing Tracheotomy With COVID-19: A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the presence of live virus and its association with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity and antibody status in patients with COVID-19 undergoing tracheotomy. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Single institution across 3 hospital sites during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Patients who were intubated for respiratory wean tracheotomy underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR nasal, throat, and endotracheal tube swabs at the time of the procedure. These were assessed via quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR. The tracheal tissue excised during the tracheotomy was cultured for SARS-CoV-2 with Vero E6 and Caco2 cells. Serum was assessed for antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 via neutralization assays. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients were included in this study. The mean number of days intubated prior to undergoing surgical tracheotomy was 27.8. At the time of the surgical tracheotomy, PCR swab testing yielded 8 positive results, but none of the 35 individuals who underwent tissue culture were positive for SARS-CoV-2. All 18 patients who had serum sampling demonstrated neutralization antibodies, with a minimum titer of 1:80. CONCLUSION: In our series, irrespective of positive PCR swab, the likelihood of infectivity during tracheotomy remains low given negative tracheal tissue cultures. While our results do not undermine national and international guidance on tracheotomy after day 10 of intubation, given the length of time to procedure in our data, infectivity at 10 days cannot be excluded. We do however suggest that a preoperative negative PCR swab not be a prerequisite and that antibody titer levels may serve as a useful adjunct for assessment of infectivity.

Neuroanatomical substrates of foresight in schizophrenia.

The ability to think of the long-term consequences of one's behavior and use this information to guide present and future actions, commonly referred to as foresight, is a key higher-order cognitive ability that may be deficient among persons with schizophrenia and substantially limit the degree to which such individuals experience a functional recovery from the disease. This research investigated the neuroanatomical basis of foresight in schizophrenia, in order to identify potential brain regions that may underlie impaired foresight among this population. Participants in the early course of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (N=50) were assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging and clinician-rated measures of foresight and psychopathology. Voxel-based morphometry was used to examine the relationship between foresight and regional gray matter volume in the ventromedial prefrontal, orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Significant positive associations were observed between foresight and gray matter volume density in the right orbitofrontal, ventromedial prefrontal, and posterior cingulate cortices, as well as the left ventromedial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, after correcting for multiple comparisons. These relationships persisted after adjusting for age, gender, illness duration, and psychopathology. Better foresight was most strongly associated with increased gray matter in the right orbitofrontal/ventromedial prefrontal cortex, suggesting that reductions in gray matter volume in this region may be associated with impaired foresight in schizophrenia. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Role of 18-Fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography and subsequent panendoscopy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas of unknown primary (HNSCCUP) accounts for up to 10% of presenting head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Identification of the primary site allows for directed therapy. Where initial investigations have failed to locate the primary site, 18-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) has emerged as a useful tool with improved sensitivity over positron emission tomography alone. Following PET/CT scan, the role of subsequent panendoscopy ± biopsy has not been fully assessed. We aim to evaluate and quantify the role of PET/CT and subsequent panendoscopy in HNSCCUP. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Patients with HNSCCUP presenting between January 2005 and December 2010 at a regional oncology referral center were studied. All patients who presented with a metastatic neck node and unknown primary who had undergone PET/CT prior to panendoscopy were included. The accuracy of PET/CT was calculated and compared with panendoscopy and histopathological findings. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients were included. Twenty-seven PET/CT scans suggested a primary site. Calculated diagnostic parameters were 83% sensitivity, 87% specificity, positive predictive value 89%, and negative predictive value 80%. Three false-positive PET/CT scans were noted after panendoscopy and normal histology. Importantly, three confirmed tongue base tumors were found on panendoscopy, which were undetected on PET/CT. CONCLUSIONS: PET/CT is a valuable resource for locating tumors in HNSCCUP. It helps direct biopsy and aids in the detection of local and distant metastases along with synchronous primary tumors. Importantly, due to both false-positive and false-negative PET/CT rates, panendoscopy and biopsy remains an essential adjunct investigation irrespective of PET/CT results. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 126:1354-1358, 2016.

Embolic suppurative thyroiditis with concurrent carcinoma in pregnancy: lessons in management through a case report.

BACKGROUND: The thyroid undergoes a variety of physiological changes during pregnancy. The relatively low iodine levels seen in pregnancy have been implicated in thyroid growth during this time. Management of thyroid cancer in pregnancy is not immediately apparent. Furthermore, acute suppurative thyroiditis is rare and this is attributed to the glands innate immunity. We thoroughly review the evidence regarding management of thyroid abscess and thyroid malignancy during pregnancy and illustrate it via an extremely rare case of an embolic thyroid abscess highlighting an underlying carcinoma in a pregnant woman. CASE: A 29-year old female was found to have a thyroid mass during an antenatal assessment. Following a wound infection from Caesarian section she developed a rapidly progressive thyroid abscess. Incision and drainage of the abscess, and subsequent histology revealed papillary carcinoma. She subsequently underwent both total thyroidectomy with level 6 dissection and radio-iodine ablation post-natally. CONCLUSION: The literature is inconsistent regarding pregnancy as a risk factor for thyroid cancer, but overall it has been suggested as equally or slightly more frequent than in the non-pregnant population. Thyroid mass investigation should be as for the non-pregnant population. In the first trimester any endocrine surgery is associated with miscarriage, whereas these risks are reduced in second trimester. Importantly, there is no survival benefit in undergoing papillary carcinoma surgery in the third trimester versus early post partum and the risks of premature labour may outweigh any benefit gained by operating early. Most importantly, acute suppurative thyroiditis is rare entity and clinicians should have a low threshold for suspicion of underlying malignancy in these patients. This is especially true in the pregnant population who may be especially susceptible whilst undergoing hypertrophic thyroid changes.

Infiltrative mass of the skull base and nasopharynx: A diagnostic conundrum.

Inflammatory skull base masses are enigmatic and often behaviourally unpredictable. We present a case of idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis (IHP) forming a central skull base mass to illustrate the process required when one investigates such skull base lesions. This is the first description of mass forming or tumefactive IHP extending into the nasopharynx. A 32-year old woman presented with frontal headaches and nasal discharge. She then deteriorated and was admitted with worsening headaches, serosanguinous nasal discharge and bilateral ophthalmoplegia. Multimodality imaging confirmed a destructive central skull base soft tissue mass involving the posterior clivus, floor of sphenoid sinus, nasopharynx and extending into both cavernous sinuses. Unfortunately, the patient continued to deteriorate despite treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Cerebrospinal fluid, blood tests and transnasal biopsies for histology and microbiology did not reveal a diagnosis. Further neuroimaging revealed extension of the mass. Early corticosteroid treatment demonstrated radical improvement although an initial reducing regime resulted in significant rebound deterioration. She was stable on discharge with slowly reducing low dose oral prednisolone and azathioprine. We discuss the complexity of this case paying special attention to the process followed in order to arrive at a diagnosis of idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis based on both the clinical progression and the detailed analysis of serial skull base imaging. Knowledge of the potential underlying aetiologies, characteristic radiological features, common pathogens and the impact on blood serology can narrow the potential differentials and may avoid the morbidity associated with extensive resective procedures.

Serious neonatal airway obstruction with massive congenital sublingual ranula and contralateral occurrence.

BACKGROUND: Congenital ranulas seldom occur, with bilateral presentation and prenatal diagnosis reported very rarely. We believe this is the first reported case of a neonate with a antenally diagnosed massive congenital ranula, who went on to develop a non-contiguous contralateral ranula, both contributing to obstruction in a complex paediatric airway. CASE REPORT: A female neonate was born to a non-primagravid mother via a planned elective caesarean section due to a lower facial defect and oral cyst. Antenatal aspiration of the pseudocyst was performed under ultrasound guidance with limited success. In the immediate post-natal period a poor airway was observed and the cyst was subsequently marsupialised. With the development of macroglossia secondary to oedema and tongue base collapse the airway was secured through surgical tracheostomy. A subsequent ultrasound scan revealed the presence of a second solitary cystic mass on the contralateral side. After careful excision of the contralateral pseudocyst, tongue function improved, with the resolution of a safe airway which permitted successful decannulation. A planned definitive procedure antenatally did not result in the anticipated improvement in function. However the subsequent development of a second non-contiguous pseudocyst and further surgical management resulted in a safe airway, improved masticator function and the ability to thrive. CONCLUSIONS: The prenatal diagnosis of congenital ranulas have been seldom reported, with no reported cases of contralateral occurrence and airway obstruction from an intraoral ranula. This rare case highlights the need for a well considered contingency plan when surgery is required for a neonatal airway at risk.