Thoracic Duct Embolization for Chyle Leakage after Thyroid Surgery

Chyle leakage (CL) due to lymphatic injuries is one of the rare complications that can develop after thyroidectomy. There are few studies on lymphatic embolization performed in case of CL after thyroid surgery. We report two cases of CL after thyroid surgery that were effectively treated by thoracic duct embolization. The patients had previously undergone total thyroidectomy with central compartment neck dissection with or without modified radical neck dissection. The amount of drainage from the operative site was ＞1000 mL per day in one patient and ＞500 mL per day in the other. In both cases, CL stopped after the thoracic duct embolization. Thoracic duct embolization seems to be an effective and important treatment option for CL after thyroid surgery.

Molecular Testing of Thyroid Indeterminate Nodules for Clinical Management Decision

Thyroid nodules are the most common endocrine tumor. Ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) are currently accurate diagnostic tools for evaluating thyroid nodules. However, 10–30% of FNA specimens are cytologically indeterminate. Making an accurate diagnosis between benign and malignant nodules is important so that patients with malignant nodule receive proper treatment and patients with benign nodule can avoid unnecessary treatment. Several genetic changes such as point mutations of the BRAF or RAS and rearrangements of the RET/PTC1, RET/PTC3, PAX8/PPARY are used to adjust to indeterminate FNA. Such a mutational analysis has an excellent positive predictive value (PPV), but there is a weakness in the low negative predictive value (NPV). Gene-expression classifier (GEC) has been found helpful in identify nodules that are benign rather than malignant. GEC has an excellent NPV, but there is a weakness of low PPV. Multiplatform mutational and miRNA test (MPT) and next-generation sequencing assay (NGS) are being studied to compensate for these weaknesses. Molecular tests appear to be a good solution for improving the accuracy of indeterminate FNA cytology specimens and support the clinical management decisions in patients with indeterminate cytologic nodules, but further prospective multicenter trials are required for validation of reported findings and need evaluation of cost-effectiveness. This paper will review recently available molecular diagnostic tools of thyroid nodule.

The Cause of Cervical Lymph Node Recurrence after the Initial Surgery of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma / 대한두경부종양학회지

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has generally an indolent character with a good prognosis. However, recurrence remains a major concern for the patients during their lifetime. Despite the slowly progressing character of PTC, recurrence can occur within a short period after initial surgery.This study aimed to determine the clinical findings and cause of recurrence in patients who underwent re-operative surgery due to neck node recurrence by reviewing the CT (computed tomographic) scan imaging of the recurrence of PTC retrospectively.MATERIALS #SPCHAR_X0026; METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients referred to Ajou University Hospital from January 2002 to January 2018. All patients had re-operative surgery due to neck node recurrence and CT scan results of preoperative evaluation and postoperative follow up. Over this period, 110 patients who underwent re-operation due to neck node recurrence with a CT scan were included in our cohort, resulting in a total of 220 re-operations.RESULTS: The time from initial operation to first re-operation was examined in 110 patients. The median time to re-operation was 28 months, with a range of 4 months to 186 months. Most re-operations (82.7%) occurred within the first five years, 43.6% were in the first two years from the initial surgery. The result of the retrospective CT review showed newly developed cases (21,19.1%), missed diagnosis cases (42,38.2%), real recur cases after surgery (33,30.0%), and remnant lymph nodes (LNs) cases (14,12.7%). We further sub-analyzed 14 cases with remnant LNs. Reasons for remnant LNs included insufficient operation (N=5) and beyond general surgical extent. (N=9).CONCLUSION: Re-operation due to cervical lymph node recurrence is mostly a persistent disease. They included a missed diagnosis and incomplete operation. These finding may reduce the reoperation of cervical lymph node recurrence by accurate preoperative evaluation and complete surgical resection at the initial surgery.

Evaluation of the VE1 Antibody in Thyroid Cytology Using Ex Vivo Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Specimens

BACKGROUND: Recently, VE1, a monoclonal antibody against the BRAFV600E mutant protein, has been investigated in terms of its detection of the BRAFV600E mutation. Although VE1 immunostaining and molecular methods used to assess papillary thyroid carcinoma in surgical specimens are in good agreement, evaluation of VE1 in thyroid cytology samples is rarely performed, and its diagnostic value in cytology has not been well established. In present study, we explored VE1 immunoexpression in cytology samples from ex vivo papillary thyroid carcinoma specimens in order to minimize limitations of low cellularity and sampling/targeting errors originated from thyroid fineneedle aspiration and compared our results with those obtained using the corresponding papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues. METHODS: The VE1 antibody was evaluated in 21 cases of thyroid cytology obtained directly from ex vivo thyroid specimens. VE1 immunostaining was performed using liquid-based cytology, and the results were compared with those obtained using the corresponding tissues. RESULTS: Of 21 cases, 19 classic papillary thyroid carcinomas had BRAFV600E mutations, whereas two follicular variants expressed wild-type BRAF. VE1 immunoexpression varied according to specimen type. In detection of the BRAFV600E mutation, VE1 immunostaining of the surgical specimen exhibited 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity, whereas VE1 immunostaining of the cytology specimen exhibited only 94.7% sensitivity and 0% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that VE1 immunostaining of a cytology specimen is less specific than that of a surgical specimen for detection of the BRAFV600E mutation, and that VE1 immunostaining of a cytology specimen should be further evaluated and optimized for clinical use.

Current Guidelines for Fine Needle Aspiration of Thyroid Nodules / 대한내분비외과학회지

Thyroid cancer is a hot issue in Korea because there is debate on screening and diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Therefore, we reviewed the guidelines for the management of thyroid nodules of other countries. Western countries accepted the criteria of fine needle aspiration including the tumor size of thyroid nodules, although ultrasonographic morphologic characteristics are more important to diagnose the thyroid cancer than tumor size. This recommendation is based on good prognosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. However, small subset of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma has aggressive behavior, which we cannot discern from those with benign behavior before operation. Therefore, further researches are necessary to resolve these problems and improve the management of papillary thyroid cancer avoiding overtreatment and mismanagement.

B-RafV600E inhibits sodium iodide symporter expression via regulation of DNA methyltransferase 1

B-RafV600E mutant is found in 40-70% of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and has an important role in the pathogenesis of PTC. The sodium iodide symporter (NIS) is an integral plasma membrane glycoprotein that mediates active iodide transport into the thyroid follicular cells, and B-RafV600E has been known to be associated with the loss of NIS expression. In this study, we found that B-RafV600E inhibited NIS expression by the upregulation of its promoter methylation, and that specific regions of CpG islands of NIS promoter in B-RafV600E harboring PTC were highly methylated compared with surrounding normal tissue. Although DNA methyltransferase 3a and 3b (DNMT3a,3b) were not increased by B-RafV600E, DNMT1 expression was markedly upregulated in PTC and B-RafV600E expressing thyrocytes. Furthermore, DNMT1 expression was upregulated by B-RafV600E induced NF-kappaB activation. These results led us to conclude that NIS promoter methylation, which was induced by B-RafV600E, is one of the possible mechanisms involved in NIS downregulation in PTC.

Bilateral Chylothorax Following Modified Radical Neck Dissection in Thyroid Cancer: A Case Report / 대한내분비외과학회지

Bilateral chylothoraxis an extremely rare complication of modified radical neck dissection. It is a potentially life-threatening condition that can lead to severe respiratory, nutritional, metabolic, and immunologic disorders. Use of a multi-disciplinary approach including drainage of chyle, reduction of chyle formation, adequate nutritional support, use of somatostatin or its analogue, surgical ligation of the thoracic duct, and thoracic duct embolization is the best method for treatment of bilateral chylothorax. We report on a case of bilateral chylothorax following total thyroidectomy with modified radical neck dissection and discuss its management.

In Thyroid Cancer Patients, Is Preoperative FNAB-C Reliable for Prediction of Lateral Cervical LN Metastasis? / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology (FNAB-C) in predicting lateral lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 592 patients who underwent thyroid cancer surgery and intra-operative lateral cervical LN frozen section or RND, from January 2002 to December 2011, were evaluated retrospectively. Among them, 228 cases had suspicious findings in FNAB-C of lateral nodes. We reviewed their radiological and pathological reports. RESULTS: Intra-operative frozen section examination was performed in 540 cases and RND was performed in 314 cases. This study included 534 women (83.4%) and 106 men (16.6%). Patients' ranged in age from 9 to 83 years (mean, 45.65 years). FNAB-C was performed in 228 cases. The sensitivity and specificity of FNAB-C was 71.5% and 78.6%, respectively; 35.9% of cases had a false negative result. The combination of FNAB-C and intra-operative frozen section test sensitivity and specificity was 87.2% and 93.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results for sensitivity in FNAB-C actually appear low, and false negative results were very high. In papillary thyroid cancer in patients with FNAB-C, even if the result is negative, if lymph node metastasis is suspected based on radiologic evidence, frozen section examination should be performed for determination of metastasis.

Central Lymph Node Metastasis Is an Important Prognostic Factor in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has been increasing, without a consensus for the management of this condition. In the present study, we analyzed the clinicopathological features of patients with PTMC to examine the impact of initial therapy and establish appropriate treatment. A total of 2,018 patients with PTMC were enrolled at a single university hospital. Of them, 1,245 patients (61.8%) underwent total thyroidectomy, and 1,838 patients (91.3%) underwent central lymph node (LN) dissection. Five-and 10-yr recurrence rates were 3.2% and 4.6%, respectively. In univariate analysis, the prognostic factors for recurrence were N stage, the number of LN metastases, and extrathyroidal extension. However, multivariate analysis revealed LN metastases and N stage as the only significant prognostic factors after adjusting for confounding factors (P < 0.001). Additionally, multivariate analysis of a subgroup consisting of PTMC patients without N1b revealed the number of central LN metastases as the only significant factor. Therefore, intraoperative examination for central LN metastasis may discriminate high or low risk group.

The usefulness and accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy using single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography with 99mTc phytate to detect locoregional lymph node metastases in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma / 대한외과학회지

PURPOSE: Regional lymph node (LN) metastases are detected in 57-85% of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and are associated with increased tumor recurrence. However, the management of lymphatic disease in patients with PTC has been ongoing source of debate. We have prospectively assessed the usefulness and accuracy of sentinel LN (SLN) biopsy for the detection of LN metastases in patients with PTC on preoperative imaging using single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and 99mTc phytate. METHODS: We prospectively assessed 39 patients with PTC who had risk factors for recurrence or with the necessity of intraoperative LN sampling for suspicious LN metastases on preoperative imaging from August 2010 to March 2011. The patients underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and SPETC/CT and intraoperative SLN biopsy (SLNB). RESULTS: 99mTc lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT/CT localized SLN in 38 patients (97.4%), with the gamma probe identifying 2.15 mean SLNs in the lateral neck of the 39 patients. Skip metastasis was found in one patient, and lateral compartment LN metastasis in 17 (43.5%). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of SLNB for lateral compartment LN metastasis were 88.2%, 100%, and 94.8%, respectively. SLNB was more accurate and useful for lateral than for central compartment LN metastasis. CONCLUSION: SPECT/CT improved SLN detection and anatomical localization compared with lymphoscintigraphy. SLNB in patients with risk factors for recurrence or the necessity of intraoperative LN sampling for suspected LN metastases on preoperative imaging was accurate in detecting LN metastases and may help in deciding whether to perform lateral compartment dissection in patients with PTC.

A Comparison of the Corticosteroid Intralesional Injections Alone versus Corticosteroid Intralesional Injections with Cryotherapy on Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids after Thyroidectomy: A Split-scar Study / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Various treatment modalities for hypertrophic scars and keloids have been used. However, there is no consensus as to what the optimum approach should be. Most common treatments are corticosteroid intralesional injection (ILI) and cryotherapy as well as combination of these two modalities. To this date, however, there are no prospectively comparative, scar-split studies between steroid ILI monotherapy and combination of steroid ILI and cryotherapy. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to investigate and compare the efficacy of steroid ILI monotherapy and the combination of steroid ILI and cryotherapy. METHODS: Eighteen women who had thyroid operation scars were recruited. Patients received steroid ILI with cryotherapy on the right half, and steroid ILI monotherapy on the left half of the scar. Patients were treated for four sessions with three weeks of intervals. Subjects were evaluated on their scar status with the modified Vancouver scar scale (MVSS) and scar redness by using colorimeter at baseline and every visit day. RESULTS: After four treatment sessions, MVSS was significantly improved on both sides of scar. Significant improvement was observed after one treatment session on the right half, and after two treatment sessions on the left half. There was no significant difference between left and right side after four sessions of treatment. The scar redness of both sides of scar showed no significant differences between the baseline and at the end of the study. CONCLUSION: Both corticosteroid ILI with cryotherapy and corticosteroid ILI monotherapy are effective treatment modalities for hypertrophic scars. However, the results of the present study suggest that a combination therapy might lead to more rapid improvements.

Surgical Methods for Radioiodine Refractory Thyroid Cancer / 대한내분비외과학회지

Most patients with thyroid cancer (of follicular cell origin) are successfully managed with a combination of surgery, radioactive iodine (131I-RAI), and suppression of thyroid-stimulating hormone with thyroid hormone replacement, obtaining survival rates approaching 90% at 20 years. Although the prognosis of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is favorable, recurrence occurs in up to 30% patients. In addition, many patients with recurrent or metastatic disease, as well as those with less differentiated tumors, will have a much poorer prognosis and lose their ability to concentrate functional iodine and are therefore not targeted by 131I-RAI therapy. There are many treatment options but no definitive treatment for radioiodine refractory thyroid cancer. This paper will discuss the roles of surgical treatment for patients with radioiodine refractory thyroid cancer.

Effectiveness of 124I-PET/CT and 18F-FDG-PET/CT for Localizing Recurrence in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Although the prognosis of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is generally encouraging, a diagnostic dilemma is posed when an increasing level of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is noted, without detection of a recurrent tumor using conventional imaging tools such as the iodine-131 whole-body scanning (the [131I] scan) or neck ultrasonography (US). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of [124I]-PET/CT and [18F]-FDG-PET/CT in terms of accurate detection of both iodine- and non-iodine-avid recurrence, compared with that of conventional imaging such as the [131I] scan or neck ultrasonography (US). Between July 2009 and June 2010, we prospectively studied 19 DTC patients with elevated thyroglobulin levels but who do not show pathological lesions when conventional imaging modalities are used. All involved patients had undergone total thyroidectomy and radioiodine (RI) treatment, and who had been followed-up for a mean of 13 months (range, 6-21 months) after the last RI session. Combined [18F]-FDG-PET/CT and [124I]-PET/CT data were evaluated for detecting recurrent DTC lesions in study patients and compared with those of other radiological and/or cytological investigations. Nine of 19 patients (47.4%) showed pathological [18F]-FDG (5/19, 26.3%) or [124I]-PET (4/19, 21.1%) uptake, and were classed as true-positives. Among such patients, disease management was modified in six (66.7%) and disease was restaged in seven (77.8%). In particular, the use of the described imaging combination optimized planning of surgical resection to deal with locoregional recurrence in 21.1% (4/19) of patients, who were shown to be disease-free during follow-up after surgery. Our results indicate that combination of [18F]-FDG-PET/CT and [124I]-PET/CT affords a valuable diagnostic method that can be used to make therapeutic decisions in patients with DTC who are tumor-free on conventional imaging studies but who have high Tg levels.

Therapeutic Difficulties in Poorly Differentiated and Undifferentiated Thyroid Cancer / 대한갑상선학회지

Poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) have poor prognosis and rare incidence compared to well differentiate thyroid cancer. Since the original description of PDTC in 1983, PDTC was introduced as a separate entity in the 2004 WHO Classification of Endocrine Tumors. PDTC was defined as a thyroid cancer with thyroglobulin-producing non-follicular non-papillary growth pattern and high-grade features, having an intermediate behavior between well differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) and ATC. But the criteria of PDTC are still controversial and heterogeneously applied in the diagnostic practice. Also the modalities of treatment, such as the extent of thyroid surgery, the use of radioiodine therapy and external radiation therapy are still controversial. ATC is rapidly progressing human carcinoma with a median survival of 4 to 12 months after diagnosis. Although the complete resection combined with external radiation therapy was reported to be effective recently and multimodality treatment has been recommended, current treatment of ATC has not been adequate for controlling the diseases. Therefore there are new attempts for treatment, such as chemotherapy with paclitaxel, clinical trials of combretastatin 4 phosphate and CS-7107 and multitargeted therapy of bevacizumab with doxorubicin, sorafenib, sunitinib etc. PDTC and ATC are an unexplored field like this, therefore, the studies for molecular pathology and therapeutic approach are necessary for improving survival and quality of life of patients.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Papillary Carcinoma in the Thyroid Isthmus

PURPOSE: Surgical approaches for papillary thyroid carcinoma remain controversial. Moreover, previous reports regarding surgical strategy for papillary carcinoma of thyroid isthmus are very few. The aims of this study are to analyze the clinicopathologic features of papillary thyroid carcinoma of the isthmus and to develop more appropriate surgical strategies. METHODS: Prospectively, papillary carcinoma arising thyroid isthmus (n=35) was included in this study from June 2006 to December 2008. All of the patients had total thyroidectomy with bilateral central compartment node dissection performed. Lateral nodes were sampled for frozen biopsy when metastasis was suspected by preoperative study. Thirty-five patients, who had unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma, had total thyroidectomy with bilateral central compartment node dissection as control group and compared with papillary thyroid carcinoma of isthmus. RESULTS: Lymph node metastasis was higher than control group in patients of isthmus cancer (51% vs 20%, P<0.05). Capsular invasion and multifocality observed in 63% and 23% respectively, but there was no significant difference compared to control group, statistically. Capsular invasion showed a positive correlation with lymph node metastasis by univariate and multivariate analysis. Analysis of ipsilateral nodal metastatic distribution revealed no definite metastatic pattern. Tracheal adhesion was observed in 4 cases of isthmus cancer group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it is recommended that bilateral CCND is needed as an appropriate primary surgical procedure for localized papillary carcinoma of thyroid isthmus.

Predictors of Resolution of Hypertension after Adrenalectomy in Patients with Aldosterone-producing Adenoma

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a frequent cause of secondary hypertension and is amenable to surgical intervention when it is caused by aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). Many patients, however, continue to require antihypertensive medications to control their blood pressure after adrenalectomy. The aim of this study was to determine the preoperative factors that predict clinical outcomes after adrenalectomy in patients with APA. We studied 27 patients (mean age 45+/-4 yr) who had APA and underwent unilateral adrenalectomy between December 1995 and September 2008 at our institution. Clinical and biochemical data were evaluated at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 51.8+/-47.0 months (range, 6-159). At the end of the follow-up, 16 patients (59.3%) were considered to experience "complete resolution" without postoperative medications, whereas 7 patients (25.9%) "improved" with medications and 4 patients (14.8%) were "uncontrolled." Three factors (< or =2 antihypertensive medications [P=0.007], duration of hypertension <6 yr [P=0.002], and serum aldosterone <350 pg/mL [P<0.001]) were the predictive for complete resolution in univariate analysis. Multivariate regression analysis showed that serum aldosterone level (<350 pg/mL) was the single most important factor that predicted complete resolution after surgery (P<0.001). The best preoperative clinical factor that predicted resolution of postoperative hypertension after adrenalectomy is serum aldosterone level (<350 pg/mL).

Initial Experience Using Gasless Transaxillary Robotic Thyroidectomy by a Single Surgeon / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: Various endoscopic thyroidectomy procedures have been designed to minimize visible cervical scarring. However, endoscopic thyroidectomy is a technically challenging procedure that is performed by a limited surgeon. Robotic systems aida surgeon in performing minimally invasive head and neck surgery by offering superior visualization and dexterity. This study reports the initial experience of one surgeon with robotic thyroidectomy to assess the technical feasibility and safety of the approach. METHODS: One hundred four thyroid cancer patients (97 females, 7 males; mean age of 39.8±8.1 years) underwent robotic thyroidectomy using gasless transaxillary approach between November 2008 and October 2009 in Ajou University Hospital. All the procedures were completed successfully using the da Vinci surgical system without open conversion. Patient characteristics, postoperative clinical results, complications, and pathologic details were assessed. RESULTS: Total thyroidectomy was performed in 25 (24.0%) patients, subtotal thyroidectomy in 13 (12.5%) patients, and unilateral lobectomy in 66 (63.5%) patients. All patients underwent ipsilateral central compartment neck dissection, and two patients underwent selective lymph node (LN) dissection. The mean operation time was 134.5±47.2 min (range 61~310 min), in which the actual time for the thyroidectomy with lymphadenectomy (console time) was 56.4 min. (range 31~270). The mean number of LN resected was 3.9 (range 0~28). There were no serious complications. The mean hospital stay was 2.9±0.9 days (range 2~7). CONCLUSION: Robotic thyroidectomy is a feasible, safe, and cosmetically excellent procedure. The application of robotic technology for thyroid surgeries could be an alternative to endoscopic or conventional open thyroidectomy.

Clinicopathologic Features and Treatment Outcomes in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma Patients with Concurrent Graves' Disease

The clinical behaviors and treatment outcomes of thyroid carcinomas in patients with Graves' disease is a matter of controversy. This study aimed to identify the clinicopathologic features, treatment outcome, and the indicators for predicting recurrence, and to suggest the optimal extent of surgery in these patients. We retrospectively analyzed data of 58 patients who underwent surgical treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer and concurrent Graves' disease. The follow-up period ranged from 23 to 260 months (mean+/-standard devuation, 116.8+/-54.0). In our series, the mean age was 40.8+/-12.7 yr (range, 15-70), with a male-to-female ratio of 1: 6.25. The mean tumor size was 13+/-9 mm (range, 3-62). The surgical methods included 19 cases of total thyroidectomy, 38 cases of subtotal thyroidectomy, and 1 case of completion total thyroidectomy. Locoregional recurrence occurred in four patients (6.9%). The 10-yr overall survival and disease-free survival of patients were 95.8% and 91.1%, respectively. Age over 45 yr (p=0.031), tumor size over 10 mm (p=0.049), multiplicity (p=0.007), extracapsular invasion (p=0.021), and clinical cancer (p=0.035) were significantly more prevalent in patients with locoregional recurrence than in those without recurrence. We recommend that Graves' disease patients should undergo regular ultrasonography screening for early detection of thyroid carcinoma. We also suggest that the choice of extent of surgery should depend on the diagnostic timing (clinical or incidental) and factors for predicting recurrence.

The Bone Mineral Density and Bone Metabolism of Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma and who are Receiving Long-term TSH Suppressive Therapy / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: The clinical implications of long-term suppressive thyroxine (TSH) therapy on the skeletal system are critical, largely because of the favorable prognosis of differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTC). However, the potentialdeleterious effects of TSH suppressive therapy on the bone metabolism remain controversial. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the effects of chronic L-thyroxine (LT4) treatment with supraphysiologic doses of TSH on the bone mineral density (BMD) and biochemical bone remodeling markers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was designed to compare patients with DTC and who were treated with LT4 for more than 2 years after thyroidectomy with an age-matched and gender-matched healthy control group. A total of 100 female outpatients (mean age: 47.5±13.8; 38 pre and 62 post-menopausal) who were on LT4 for between 2 and 10 yearswere enrolled. One hundred and three age-matched healthy volunteers were recruited as a control group. Laboratory tests were performed to exclude other possible factors for secondary osteoporosis. We measured the BMD by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and bone turnover was assessed by several biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Our data showed no significant difference between the bone markers for the study group and the control group that had a premenopausal status. However, for the patients with a postmenopausal status, the serum levels of bone alkaline phosphatase were significant higher in the study group than that in the control group (P=0.038). We also found no significant difference between the study patients and the age- and weight-matched controls for the BMD at any site of measurement. CONCLUSION: This preliminary report suggests that bone turnover and accelerated bone loss might be related to the long-standing TSH suppression in postmenopausal women. Future prospective studies with an increased number of studied patients and a prolonged time of observation will be necessary in order to better assess the relative risk of osteoporosis in patients who are undergoing TSH suppressive treatment.

Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma: Clinicopathologic Features, Prognostic Factors, and Treatment Strategy

PURPOSE: Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is a relatively rare form of thyroid carcinoma that often presents at a more advanced stage of disease with a higher incidence of distant metastases because of its propensity for vascular invasion. However, FTC and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) have similar prognoses when they are matched for age and stage. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the useful prognostic factors and determine the optimal management of FTC. METHODS: This study was conducted on 216 patients with FTC who underwent thyroidectomy at our institutions between April 1986 and August 2006. The patients included 174 women and 42 men with a mean age of 41 (4~87) years, and patients underwent follow-up evaluation for a mean period of 114 (6~253) months. The potential risk factors for treatment outcome were calculated using multivariate analysis, and the prognostic accuracy of UICC/AJCC pTNM staging, AMES, AGES, MACIS, and Degroot classification for predicting survival were compared. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 13 (6.0%) patients developed locoregional recurrences and 8 patients (3.7%) showed distant metastases. In addition, cause specific mortality was seen in 8 patients (3.7%). The overall survival and cause-specific survival (CSS) rates at 10 years were 95.4% and 89.3%, respectively, and these cases were accurately predicted by the AMES and pTNM staging systems. The Cox proportional hazards revealed that gender (P=0.015), angioinvasion (P=0.013), invasion to adjacent structure (P=0.003), widely invasive carcinoma (P=0.028), and distant metastases at the time of presentation (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors for survival. CONCLUSION: The extent of surgery in cases of FTC should be individualized based on the clinicopathologic findings; Conservative surgery should be adequate for cases of minimally invasive FTC without angioinvasion, however total or near-total thyroidectomy should be conducted in cases of widely invasive and minimally invasive FTC with angioinvasion.