The Clinical Significance of the Right Para-Oesophageal Lymph Nodes in Papillary Thyroid Cancer

PURPOSE: Although guidelines indicate that routine dissection of the central lymph nodes in patients with thyroid carcinoma should include the right para-oesophageal lymph nodes (RPELNs), located between the right recurrent laryngeal nerve and the cervical oesophagus and posterior to the former, RPELN dissection is often omitted due to high risk of injuries to the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the right inferior parathyroid gland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified all patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection, including the RPELNs, between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013 at the Thyroid Cancer Center of Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. RESULTS: Of 5556 patients, 148 were positive for RPELN metastasis; of the latter, 91 had primary tumours greater than 1 cm (p<0.001). Extrathyroidal extension by the primary tumour (81.8%; p<0.001), bilaterality, and multifocality were more common in patients with than without RPELN metastasis; however, there were no significant differences in age and sex between groups. A total of 95.9% of patients with RPELN metastasis had central node (except right para-oesophageal lymph node) metastasis, and the incidence of lateral neck node metastasis was significantly higher in patients with than without RPELN metastasis (63.5% vs. 14.3%, p<0.001). Forty-one patients underwent mediastinal dissection, with 11 patients confirmed as having mediastinal lymph node metastasis with RPELN metastasis on pathological examination. CONCLUSION: RPELN metastasis is significantly associated with lateral neck and mediastinal lymph node metastasis.

A Comparison of Quality of Life Using Short Form 36 between Femoral Shaft Fracture and Tibia Shaft Fracture Treated with Antegrade Nailing

PURPOSE: We sought to compare the quality of life between two similar groups of patients; one group who sustained an isolated femoral shaft fracture, and the other group who sustained an isolated tibial shaft fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 1995 to July 2010, two groups of 168 patients who underwent implant removal operations after intramedullary nailing for an isolated femoral shaft fracture or an isolated tibial shaft fracture were enrolled. Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires were completed at the final follow-up visit. Data analysis was performed by another physician not otherwise involved with clinical evaluation or the surgeries. RESULTS: Patients ranged in age from 18 to 37 years old. The two groups had similar characteristics, including age, gender ratio, body weight, smoking, and mean follow-up period (all p>0.05). No significant difference in functional outcome using SF-36 was observed between the groups except in the domain of physical functioning (PF) where femoral shaft fracture patients had a slightly higher score (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Femoral shaft fracture patients and tibial shaft fracture patients who underwent intramedullary nailing and subsequent implant removal after fracture union with similar epidemiological characteristics had similar functional outcomes using the SF-36 survey, except in the domain of PF, where femoral shaft fracture patients had a slightly better outcome.

The Prevalence of Lumbar Spine Facet Joint Osteoarthritis and Its Association with Low Back Pain in Selected Korean Populations

BACKGROUND: This study was to evaluate the association of lumbar spine facet joint osteoarthritis (LSFJOA) identified by multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) with age and low back pain (LBP) in an adult community-based population in Korea. METHODS: A sample of 472 participants (age range, 20 to 84 years) who underwent MDCT imaging for abdominal or urological lesions, not for chief complaints of LBP, were included in this study. LSFJOA based on MDCT findings was characterized using four grades of osteoarthritis of the facet joints. The prevalence of LSFJOA according to age group (below 40 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60-69 years, and above 70 years), gender, and spinal level was analyzed using chi-square tests and the association between LBP and LSFJOA adjusting for age, gender, and spine level was analyzed using multiple binary logistic regression test. RESULTS: Eighty-three study subjects (17.58%) had LSFJOA (grade > or = 2). The prevalence of LSFJOA was not associated with gender (p = 0.092). The prevalence of LSFJOA increased with age (p = 0.015). The highest prevalence of LSFJOA was observed at L4-5 in men (p = 0.001) and at L5-S1 in women (p = 0.003), and at L5-S1 in the overall population (p = 0.000). LSFJOA was not associated with LBP in men (p = 0.093) but was associated with LBP in women (p = 0.003), especially at L3-4 (p = 0.018) and L5-S1 (p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of LSFJOA based on the computed tomography imaging was 17.58% in the adult community Korean population. The prevalence of LSFJOA increased with age, and the highest prevalence was noted at L5-S1. LSFJOA was not associated with LBP at any spinal level and age except at L3-4 and L5-S1 in women.

Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer / 대한내분비외과학회지

Thyroid cancer is an indolent condition that usually presents as a limited disease in the neck. Invasion to vital organs is rarely observed; however, it can be a major cause of mortality, even in well-differentiated thyroid cancers. The common sites of local invasion are strap muscle, recurrent laryngeal nerve, laryngo-tracheal tree, esophagus, and great vessels in the lateral compartment and mediastinum. Uncontrolled invasion to vital organs in the neck and mediastinum can cause significant morbidity and affect quality of life and survival. Limited involvement of the aero-digestive tract can be controlled by conservative surgical treatments such as shaving-off procedures, while radical resection and subsequent reconstructive procedures are the best choice for more serious cases. In planning the treatment, the risk-benefit ratio should be carefully evaluated to reduce the morbidity, as well as achieve maximal therapeutic effects. Postoperative adjuvant therapies have been the subject of controversy, but there is a general consensus, especially for high-risk patients, that radioiodine therapy and TSH suppression after radical resection are beneficial. The benefits of external beam radiation therapy are unclear, but it should be considered in patients with microscopic residual disease. In conclusion, radical eradication of lesions followed by proper adjuvant therapy is the treatment of choice for locally advanced thyroid cancers.

Anti-adhesive Agent (Guardix-SG®) Does Not Influence the Drainage Volume after Thyroid Cancer Surgery / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate whether the use of HA-CMC solution in thyroid surgery influences drainage amount and hospital stay. METHODS: Between November 2012 and December 12, 147 patients with thyroid cancer who underwent total thyroidectomy with central compartment neck dissection were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into four groups; those with or without HA-CMC solution application and high or low output drainage. RESULTS: There were no differences in hospital stay and mean total drainage between the with and without HA-CMC solution application groups (P=0.230, P=0.732). The mean hospital stay was 2.2±0.4 days for the low output of drainage group and 3.1±0.6 days for the high output drainage group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the use of HA-CMC solution (41.1% vs. 56.8%, P=0.070). CONCLUSION: The use of HA-CMC solution in thyroid cancer surgery might not increase drainage amount and make hospital stay longer.