Patient Perception of Swallowing after Thyroidectomy in the Absence of Laryngeal Nerve Injury.

INTRODUCTION: Swallowing and voice alterations may manifest in patients with thyroid disease, especially after thyroidectomy. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of patients with complaints of swallowing disorders after thyroidectomy and to evaluate patients' perceptions regarding swallowing before and after the procedure. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study was performed with 26 consecutive patients undergoing a private service thyroidectomy, in which the presence of swallowing dysfunction was evaluated using validated questionnaires that addressed the perception of swallowing by patients before (on the day of surgery) and after the surgery (on the first postoperative day). RESULTS: Of the 26 patients, 18 (69.2%) were subjected to total thyroidectomy and 8 to partial thyroidectomy. Analysis of the domains of the Swallowing Handicap Index questionnaire showed higher scores when evaluated on the first postoperative day, demonstrating a significant worsening in swallowing after the procedure. The same result was demonstrated for the final score of swallowing perception, with 15.3 and 30.8% of patients reporting moderate alterations before and after the thyroidectomy, respectively, and 11.5% reporting the alterations as severe. Swallowing and vocal symptoms on the first postoperative day were more prevalent in the procedure than previously mentioned. Eight patients (30.8%) noted swallowing alterations before the procedure, compared with 80.8% (21 cases) after thyroidectomy. CONCLUSION: There was a prevalence of 42.3% in swallowing complaints on the first postoperative day, regardless of the lesion in the laryngeal innervation, and this prevalence was significantly higher than that prior to the procedure.

DEATH RELATED TO PULMONARY METASTASIS IN PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the predictive factors for shorter disease-specific survival in patients with pulmonary disease secondary to differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted over a 5-year period that included 54 patients with pulmonary disease secondary to DTC during the follow-up. Among these patients, 13 (24.1%) died from the disease. Dedifferentiation characteristics were identified at pathological examination of the metastatic disease (lymph node or distant metastases) and was defined as the abrupt transformation of a well-differentiated tumor into high-grade morphology lacking the original distinct histologic characteristics. RESULTS: Tumor dedifferentiation marked by cellular aberrations and radioiodine (RAI) therapy resistance occurred in 5 (9.3%) patients. Four of them died due to pulmonary progression (80.0%), and the median survival of this group was 30 months compared to 279 months in the patients without dedifferentiation. The cumulative disease-specific survival was 20.0% in the patients with dedifferentiation during the follow-up versus 46.1% among the cases without this condition (P = .003, log-rank test). Moreover, dedifferentiation was independently associated with shorter disease-specific survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 31.607; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.815-207.478; P<.0001, Cox regression model) as were age over 45 years (HR = 10.904; 95% CI: 1.145-103.853; P = .038) and male sex (HR = 4.210; 95% CI: 1.056-16.783; P = .042). CONCLUSION: DTC patients with pulmonary disease exhibited shorter disease-specific survival, particularly those who developed tumor dedifferentiation, and these patients require special attention during follow-up. ABBREVIATIONS: CI = confidence interval DTC = differentiated thyroid cancer FTC = follicular thyroid carcinoma HR = hazard ratio IQR = interquartile range LN = lymph node LR = likelihood ratio PTC = papillary thyroid carcinoma RAI = radioiodine pTNM = pathologic tumor-node-metastasis stage system.

[Hepatogastric fistula after chemoembolization of liver metastasis: a case report]. / Fistula hepatogástrica após quimioembolização de metástase hepática.

Liver metastases of colorectal cancer are a challenge in current oncology. Less than 5% of untreated patients are alive after 5 years of diagnosis. The only curative treatment is surgical resection, but there are other options for palliative or neoadjuvant treatment such as transarterial chemoembolization. Serious complications after liver chemoembolization are very rare, and one of the possible complications is a liver abscess. We report a case of hepatogastric fistula caused by a liver abscess ten days after the chemoembolization of a liver metastasis. It was treated surgically with left hepatectomy and parcial gastrectomy, with good outcome. There are only a few reported cases of hepatogastric fistula after liver transarterial chemoembolization.

The impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy on the quality of life in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a proven method for staging the neck in patients with early oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma because it results in less comorbidity than the traditional method of selective neck dissection, with the same oncological results. However, the real effect of that method on the quality of life of such patients remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma T1/T2N0 submitted to sentinel lymph node biopsy compared to those that received selective neck dissection. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 24 patients, after a 36 month follow-up, 15 of them submitted to the sentinel lymph node biopsy and 9 to selective neck dissection. All patients answered the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire. RESULTS: The evaluation of the questionnaires showed a late worsening of the domains appearance (p=0.035) and chewing (p=0.041), as well as a decrease of about 10% of general quality of life (p=0.025) in patients undergoing selective neck dissection ​​in comparison to those undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy. CONCLUSION: Patients with early-stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy presented better late results of general quality of life, mainly regarding appearance and chewing, when compared to patients submitted to selective neck dissection.

Nutritional and immunological parameters as prognostic factors in patients with advanced oral cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to analyze the prognostic relationship of weight loss and preoperative hematological indexes in patients surgically treated for pT4a squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study. RESULTS: Percent weight loss greater than 10% was identified in 49 patients (28.2%), and any weight loss in relation to the usual weight occurred in 140 patients (78.7%). Percent weight loss greater than 10% (HR = 1.679), Red cell distribution width (RDW) values greater than 14.3% (HR = 2.210) and extracapsular spread (HR = 1.677) were independent variables associated with risk of death. CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity present significant weight loss and as significantly immunocompromised. Increased values of RDW and higher percentages of weight loss in relation to the individual's usual weight, together with extracapsular spread of metastatic lymph nodes, were risk factors for lower survival, regardless of other clinical and anatomopathological characteristics.

Survival in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: Comparison between the 7th and 8th editions of the AJCC/UICC TNM staging system and the ATA initial risk stratification system.

BACKGROUND: The AJCC/UICC TNM staging system evaluates the risk of death from cancer. Its 8th edition aimed to increase its accuracy. In turn, the American Thyroid Association proposed an initial risk stratification system (IRSS) focusing on the risk of recurrence in differentiated thyroid carcinoma. The present study intended to analyze their prediction abilities. METHODS: Six hundred and eighty-five consecutive surgical patients (mean follow-up 71.6 months) were staged. Correlations with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were carried out. RESULTS: IRSS was discriminative for DFS but not for OS. Applying TNM 8th, 36.9% of the cohort was downstaged. Their DFS was shorter, compared with other patients in the same stage, but with no impact on OS. However, all those who died of the disease had been downstaged. CONCLUSIONS: IRSS was more effective to predict DFS, but not OS. TNM 8th was more appropriate for OS analysis than TNM 7th and IRSS.

Implication of the New AJCC pT Classification of SCC of the Lip Comparing With Other Oral Subsites.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the implication of the new AJCC staging system for pT classification in a cohort of patients with SCC of the lip mucosa and compare it to other oral cavity sites. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of 744 patients treated between 2002 and 2017, by the Head and Neck Surgery Department of the University of Sao Paulo. RESULTS: Of 95 lip patients, 42 had pT upstage (58.1% of pT1 to pT2-3 and 50% of pT2 to pT3). Similar DFS/OS observed for those pT1 maintained or upstaged to pT2-3, pT2 patients upstaged to pT3 presented worse OS (49.4% versus 92.3%, P = .032). The comparison between lip and other mouth topographies, denoted better prognosis for pT1-2, but not for pT3-4a. Lip tumors had lower DOI, rates of perineural/angiolymphatic invasion, nodal metastasis, recurrence, and death. CONCLUSION: The inclusion of DOI to the new pT classification better stratifies patients with SCC of the lip mucosa upstaged to pT3 by assessing inferior OS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:E2770-E2776, 2021.

[Duodenal duplication cyst filled with enteroliths: a case report]. / Cisto de duplição do duodeno com cálculos: Apresentação de caso.

Alimentary tract duplications are very rare, especially among adults, and only in 4-12% of the cases the duodenum is the site of origin. The main symptoms are usually epigastric pain, weight loss and vomiting. We report a case of a duodenal duplication cyst filled with enteroliths in a 23-year-old female patient presenting these symptons. The computed tomography showed a mesenteric cyst and the patient underwent a surgical procedure during which the diagnosis of duplication cyst with enteroliths was made and the cyst was excised with success. The diagnosis before surgery in these cases is extremely difficult especially if one considers how rare they are. The most helpful exam is the computed to- mography and the treatment is mainly surgical, although there are recent case reports showing the possibility of endoscopic resection (still being discussed). The presence of enteroliths can be explained by stasis and food alkalinity inside the cyst.

The impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy on the quality of life in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma / Impacto da biópsia do linfonodo sentinela na qualidade de vida em pacientes com carcinoma espinocelular da cavidade oral

Abstract Introduction Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a proven method for staging the neck in patients with early oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma because it results in less comorbidity than the traditional method of selective neck dissection, with the same oncological results. However, the real effect of that method on the quality of life of such patients remains unknown. Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma T1/T2N0 submitted to sentinel lymph node biopsy compared to those that received selective neck dissection. Methods Cross-sectional study including 24 patients, after a 36 month follow-up, 15 of them submitted to the sentinel lymph node biopsy and 9 to selective neck dissection. All patients answered the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire. Results The evaluation of the questionnaires showed a late worsening of the domains appearance (p = 0.035) and chewing (p = 0.041), as well as a decrease of about 10% of general quality of life (p = 0.025) in patients undergoing selective neck dissection ​​in comparison to those undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy. Conclusion Patients with early-stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy presented better late results of general quality of life, mainly regarding appearance and chewing, when compared to patients submitted to selective neck dissection.

Resumo Introdução A biópsia de linfonodo sentinela é um método comprovado para estadiamento cervical em pacientes com carcinoma espinocelular inicial da cavidade oral, porque apresenta menor taxa de morbidade do que o método tradicional de esvaziamento cervical seletivo, com os mesmos resultados oncológicos. Porém, o verdadeiro efeito desse método na qualidade de vida desses pacientes permanece desconhecido. Objetivo Avaliar a qualidade de vida de pacientes com carcinoma espinocelular de cavidade oral T1/T2N0 submetidos a biópsia do linfonodo sentinela em comparação aos pacientes nos quais o esvaziamento cervical seletivo foi feito. Método Estudo transversal que incluiu 24 pacientes, após 36 meses de seguimento, dos quais 15 foram submetidos a biópsia do linfonodo sentinela e nove a esvaziamento cervical seletivo. Todos os pacientes responderam ao questionário de qualidade de vida da University of Washington. Resultados A avaliação dos questionários evidenciou pioria tardia dos domínios aparência (p = 0,035) e mastigação (p = 0,041), bem como diminuição de cerca de 10% da qualidade de vida geral (p = 0,025) nos pacientes submetidos a esvaziamento cervical seletivo em comparação com aqueles submetidos a biópsia do linfonodo sentinela. Conclusão Pacientes com carcinoma espinocelular de cavidade oral em estágio inicial submetidos a biópsia do linfonodo sentinela apresentaram melhores resultados tardios de qualidade de vida geral, principalmente quanto à aparência e à mastigação, quando comparados aos pacientes submetidos a esvaziamento cervical seletivo.

Nutritional and immunological parameters as prognostic factors in patients with advanced oral cancer

Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyze the prognostic relationship of weight loss and preoperative hematological indexes in patients surgically treated for pT4a squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Methods: A retrospective cohort study. Results: Percent weight loss greater than 10% was identified in 49 patients (28.2%), and any weight loss in relation to the usual weight occurred in 140 patients (78.7%). Percent weight loss greater than 10% (HR = 1.679), Red cell distribution width (RDW) values greater than 14.3% (HR = 2.210) and extracapsular spread (HR = 1.677) were independent variables associated with risk of death. Conclusion: Patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity present significant weight loss and as significantly immunocompromised. Increased values of RDW and higher percentages of weight loss in relation to the individual's usual weight, together with extracapsular spread of metastatic lymph nodes, were risk factors for lower survival, regardless of other clinical and anatomopathological characteristics. Level of evidence: 3.

Hypomagnesemia associated with hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: an observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Serum magnesium is frequently low in patients with hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy. The aim of the present study was to analyze the variations in serum magnesium and calcium concentrations after total thyroidectomy, and the relationship between both ions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational study of 142 patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy, measuring serum calcium and magnesium levels preoperatively and on the day following surgery. The incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia was compared with that of postoperative hypomagnesemia. RESULTS: A total of 142, total thyroidectomies were performed: 54 patients (38%) presented with hypocalcemia on the first postoperative day. A marked decrease in blood magnesium in the group of patients with hypocalcemia was observed when compared to those with normal calcemia on the first postoperative day (mean variation respectively, 0.125 ± 0.065 mmol/L versus 0.035 ± 0.020 mmol/L; P = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: Hypomagnesemia is significantly associated with early hypocalcemia following thyroidectomy.

Biometric measurements involving the terminal portion of the thoracic duct on left cervical level IV: an anatomic study.

To determine the point of entrance of the thoracic duct in the venous system, as well as to evaluate some biometric measurements concerning its terminal portion, we conducted an anatomic study on 25 non-preserved cadavers. The termination of the thoracic duct occurred on the confluence between the left internal jugular vein and the left subclavian vein in 60 % of the individuals. The average results for the biometric measurements were: distance between the end of left internal jugular vein and omohyoid muscle 31.2 ± 2.7 mm; distance between the end of thoracic duct and the left internal jugular vein 0.0 ± 0.0 mm; distance between the end of thoracic duct and the left subclavian vein 3.6 ± 1.0 mm; distance between the end of thoracic duct and the left brachiocephalic vein 10.7 ± 3.1 mm. Moreover, it was identified that the left internal jugular vein length in level IV, measured between its entrance in the left subclavian vein and the omohyoid muscle, was able to predict the termination of the thoracic duct on the junction between the left internal jugular vein and the left subclavian vein (OR = 2.99) with high accuracy (79.3 %). In addition, the left internal jugular vein length at level IV was able to predict the localization of thoracic duct termination. Thus, this finding has practical value in minimizing the risk for a potential chyle leak during or after a left-sided neck dissection.