Recurrence and Complications from the Surgical Procedure for Treating a Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

PURPOSE: Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common endocrine malignancy. Despite the recent advances in diagnosis, controversy still remains concerning the surgical management. In order to select the appropriate surgical treatment, the outcome of different types of surgical procedures were reviewed. METHODS: 435 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent surgery from January 1988 to December 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. The 12 years were divided into two periods; period 1 was from 1988 to 1993 (234 patients) and period 2 was from 1994 to 1999 (201 patients). The recurrence and complication rates according to the operation method, including a neck lymph node dissection, were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-six (10.7%) and 13 patients (6.5%) had a recurrence in period 1 and 2, respectively. Eighty-one (34.6%) and 51 patients (25.4%) had a postoperative complication including hypoparathyroidism and hoarseness in period 1 and 2, respectively. 271 patients (62.3%) had a lymph node metastasis, and the anterior neck was the most common site of metastasis (60.2%). CONCLUSION: A total thyroidectomy with a routine central node dissection reduces both the incidence and number of postoperative complications.

The statistical observations for pediatric inpatients(1971-1990)

We observed the patients admitted to the department of pediatrics of Seoul Red Cross Hospital during the past twenty years form Jan. 1971 to Dec. 1990. The results were as follows: 1) The total number of pediatric inpatients during 20 years was 15,800, of which 9,683 were male, 6,117 were female and male to female ratio was 1.58:1. 2) On age distribution, neonates and infants less than 1 year of age were 6,224 cases (39.4%). 3) Monthly distribution of the inpatients showed the highest incidence in October. 4) Infectious and parasitic diseases were 4,759 cases (30.1%) and respiratory tract diseases, 3,556 cases (22.5%) and disease of these two group occupied more than one half of total admission. 5) Major 10 leading causes of hospitalization were diarrheal disease (14.2%), convulsion (7.0%), acute bronchiolitis (6.8%), pneumonia, tuberculosis, URI, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, prematurity and low birth weight infant, acute glomerulonephritis and laryngitis in the order of frequency. 6) There was marked decrease in the number of the admitted patients with typhoid fever, bacillary dysentery, tuberculous meningitis, hepatitis, pyogenic meningitis, rheumatic fever, and acute glomerulonephritis. But the patients with URI, bronchial asthma, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and Kawasaki disease have increased.