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.

Effect of Direct Revascularization in Ischemic Type of Adult Moyamoya Disease / 대한뇌혈관외과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The authors evaluated the effects of direct revascularization (superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass) in the prevention of further stroke, including recurrent ischemic event or bleeding in patients with ischemic type of adult moyamoya disease by clinical, pathophysiological and angiographical studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty four patients who had ischemic symptoms in adult moyamoya disease were investigated. The mean age of the patients was 40.8 years. The follow up period ranged from 6 months to 8 years. In 24 patients who were surgically treated, thirty one sides (both sides in 7 patients) were performed to superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis and dura splitting. RESULT: Average follow up period was 4.12 years. Perioperative and postoperative course was uneventful in 16 patients. 2 patients had new ischemic attack probably due to intracerebral steal phenomenon during operation, 6 patients had neurologic symptoms due to change of hemodynamic flow pattern after successful EC-IC bypass that included temporary neurologic deficit in 4, postbypass occlusion of the preoperative stenosis of anterior cerebral artery in one and focal seizure in one. Long term follow up results of 24 patients were showing major deficit in one and minor deficit in two. All patients experienced no further ischemic or hemorrhagic events during follow up period. In postoperative angiogram, drastic diminution of basal moyamoya vessels, which are supposed to be responsible for hemorrhage, was observed in 15 of 18 patients(83%) who were capable of postoperative 3-6 months follow up angiogram. CONCLUSION: In case of adult moyamoya disease, direct bypass surgery is particularly important on the prevention of recurrent ischemic or hemorrhagic events. And a decrease in basal moyamoya vessels was induced significantly by direct bypass surgery, which may reduce the expected risk of hemorrhage effectively. But direct bypass in moyamoya disease had operative morbidity in high frequence. So, moyamoya disease patients who undergo direct revascularization should be monitored carefully during the perioperative and postoperative period.

Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid carcinoma is a slowly growing tumor and rarely invades adjacent tissues or organs. However, up to 21% of the patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancers show local invasion, and of those 10 to 15% of patients with papillary cancer who eventually die of the disease, active local disease has been the most common finding at the time of death. The common sites of local invasion are strap muscle, recurrent laryngeal nerve, laryngotracheal tree, esophagus, and great vessels in the lateral compartment and mediastinum. Uncontrolled local invasion to vital organs in the neck causes significant morbidity, affects the quality of life, and finally influences the survival. In cases with limited involvement of the larynx or trachea, the option of treatment includes limited shaving-off resection or radical resection followed by reconstructive procedures. When operation is planned, the level of acceptable morbidity and the achievement of therapeutic outcomes should be determined in advance. In cases with aggressive invasion to the adjacent tissues, radical resection is the treatment modality of choice with favorable prognosis. Postoperative adjuvant therapies have been the matter of controversy, however, there is a general consensus, especially for the high-risk patients, that radioiodine therapy and TSH suppression after radical resection are beneficial. The benefits of external radiation therapy in locally advanced thyroid cancers are unclear, however, it can be effective in patients with microscopic residual disease postoperatively. Radical eradication of locally advanced thyroid carcinoma followed by appropriate adjuvant therapy should be considered to be the treatment of choice in locally advanced thyroid cancers.