ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma with endotracheal infiltration.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 12 patients treated from January 1999 to December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. Six patients received tracheal partial resection-sternocleidomastoid musculoperiosteal flap reconstruction (group A). Six patients received tracheal sleeve resection-end to end anastomosis (group B).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ten patients had the symptoms which indicated the tracheal invasion. Endotracheal focuses were detected in the region from 2 cm to 4 cm under glottis by endoscopy and positive rate of smear biopsy was 33%. Positive rate of CT scan was 92%. Mean diameter of carcinoma focus was 3.8 cm (from 3 cm to 7 cm), and mean number of tracheal ring resected was 4. For group A, even 7 rings were resected, and the longest longitude and latitude was 7 cm and 3 cm, respectively. For group B, the greatest number of rings resected was 4. Incidence rate of perioperative complication and mortality was 58% and 0%, respectively. Mean duration of follow-up was 49 months. One patient died of local recurrence, 1 patient died of lung metastasis. Two patients with tumor recurrence were also alive. For group A, extubation was successful in all patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Comprehensive use of diagnostic methods, especially MRI, will give detailed information for operation. Tracheal partial resection-sternocleidomastoid musculoperiosteal flap reconstruction and tracheal sleeve resection-end to end anastomosis are safe and useful methods to reconstruct the defects caused by tracheal operation.</p>