Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients with Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Cross-Sectional Study to Compare Active Surveillance and Immediate Surgery.

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study compared patient-reported outcomes of low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC, T1N0M0) between patients who underwent active surveillance (AS) and those who received immediate surgery, METHODS: Using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Short-Form 36 version 2, and a visual analog scale for neck symptoms, 249 patients under AS and 32 patients underwent immediate surgery were compared. To match the difference in time from the onset of treatment to the survey, we conducted propensity score matching. We also investigated factors affecting anxiety in patients under AS in multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: In the entire group, patients under AS had significantly longer time from the onset to the survey than patients underwent immediate surgery (7.9 vs. 4.0 years). After matching, AS group showed significantly better trait anxiety and mental component summary (MCS) compared to surgery group, while surgery group showed better role-social component summary. AS group also had significantly better MCS than the Japanese norm-based score. Surgery group displayed worse neck symptoms than AS group. Among AS group, trait anxiety and time from the onset were significant predictors of state anxiety. Compared with the group with < 5 years since starting AS, the group with ≥ 5 years of follow-up showed a significantly better state anxiety only in patients with better trait anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Low-risk PTC patients under AS showed better trait anxiety and mental health than surgery group. After a certain period, the anxiety of patients under AS seems to be improved, especially in patients with better trait anxiety.

Long-Term Outcomes After Lobectomy for Patients with High-Risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines universally recommend total thyroidectomy for high-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, in Japan, thyroid-conserving surgery had been widely applied for such patients until recently. We investigated long-term outcomes for this strategy. METHODS: A prospectively recorded database was retrospectively analyzed for 368 patients who had undergone curative surgery for high-risk PTC without distant metastasis between 1993 and 2013. High-risk PTC was defined for tumors showing tumor size > 4 cm, extrathyroidal extension, or large nodal metastasis ≥ 3 cm. RESULTS: Median age was 59 years and 243 patients were female. Mean duration of follow-up was 12.7 years. Lobectomy was conducted for 207 patients (LT group) and total or near-total thyroidectomy for 161 patients (TT group). The frequency of massive extrathyroidal invasion and large nodal metastasis was lower in the LT group than in the TT group. After propensity score matching, no significant differences were seen between groups for overall survival, cause-specific survival or distant recurrence-free survival. In the overall cohort, multivariate analysis identified age ≥ 55 years, large nodal metastasis, tumor size > 4 cm and massive extrathyroidal invasion as significantly associated with cause-specific survival, whereas extent of thyroidectomy was not. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with high-risk PTC without distant metastasis, curative surgery with lobectomy showed almost identical oncological outcomes compared to total thyroidectomy. The benefits of total thyroidectomy for high-risk PTC should be reevaluated in the future prospective studies.

Learning Curve for Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Using Video-Assisted Neck Surgery: Retrospective Analysis of a Surgeon's Experience with 100 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic thyroidectomy offers excellent cosmetic outcomes but requires some time for surgeons to become proficient. We examined the learning curve for the first 100 patients treated by a single surgeon using a subclavian approach for video-assisted neck surgery (VANS). METHODS: We retrospectively studied the records of 100 patients (99 women, 1 man; mean age, 36.2 years) with either benign or malignant thyroid disease treated between 2016 and 2020. RESULTS: Preoperative diagnosis was papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in 36 cases and other (non-PTC) in 64 cases. All patients underwent lobectomy, with additional unilateral central node dissection for patients with PTC. Mean operative time was 125 min for non-PTC cases and 129 min for PTC cases (p = 0.43); blood loss was 33.8 mL and 7.6 mL, respectively (p = 0.01). Recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (RNP) was observed in 12 patients (12%) and hemorrhage in 2 patients (2%). In a comparison of the first 30 cases and subsequent 70 cases, no significant differences in operative time or blood loss were evident, although tumor size was significantly greater among later non-PTC cases (32.4 mm vs. 39.5 mm, p = 0.039). RNP was significantly lower in later cases (26.7% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size was a significant risk factor for increased blood loss, and increased experience significantly correlated with a decrease in RNP. CONCLUSIONS: In VANS, satisfactory surgical proficiency was reached after treating 30 patients.

Congenital hemophilia A diagnosed with postoperative hemorrhage after thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative bleeding in thyroid surgery is a serious complication with fatal outcomes. Risk factors for postoperative hemorrhage have been reported as old age, male sex, Graves' disease, use of anticoagulants, and hematological disorders. Among the hematological diseases, congenital hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder characterized by absence or reduced levels of clotting factors VIII or IX. Most patients with hemophilia display bleeding symptoms during infancy or childhood, but diagnosis could be delayed in mild cases. We report a case of congenital hemophilia A that was diagnosed after three episodes of postoperative bleeding after thyroid surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old man developed repeated postoperative hemorrhage after thyroid surgery for thyroid cancer. In this case, several irregularities were seen in the postoperative course, such as a relatively long interval between surgery and bleeding, the lack of an obvious bleeding point, fresh red blood dripping from the drain insertion site on the second postoperative day, and repeated bleeding three times. We therefore considered that the cause of postoperative hemorrhage might be other than the surgical operations. After a thorough examination, hemophilia A was diagnosed. CONCLUSIONS: Hemophilia is a risk factor for postoperative bleeding in thyroid surgery. However, mild hemophilia shows normal prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. We encountered a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma associated with congenital hemophilia A, which was diagnosed after repeated bleeding.

Multifocality and Progression of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma During Active Surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Prospective trials of active surveillance (AS) have shown low rates of progression in low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC; T1aN0M0). However, the significance of multifocality as a prognostic factor remains controversial. METHODS: Data from 571 patients (mean age, 53.1 years; 495 females) who underwent AS were reviewed. PTMC was unifocal in 457 patients (80.0%) and multifocal in 114 patients (20.0%), with 2-5 lesions each (261 tumors in total). Tumor progression was defined as tumor size enlargement ≥ 3 mm and/or development of clinically evident lymph node metastasis (LNM). RESULTS: After a mean duration of AS of 7.6 years, 53 patients (9.3%) showed tumor enlargement and 8 patients (1.4%) developed LNM. The 10-year progression rate was 13.1%. Age, sex, and calcification pattern did not differ significantly between uni- and multifocal diseases. However, anti-thyroglobulin antibody and/or anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody was more frequently positive with multifocal PTMCs (46.7%) than with unifocal disease (34.4%, p = 0.024). Patients with uni- and multifocal disease showed no significant differences in 10-year rate of tumor enlargement (11.4% vs. 14.8%), LNM development (1.1% vs. 2.4%), or progression (12.4% vs 15.9%). Multivariate analysis of predictors for progression showed multifocality was not a significant risk factor (odds ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-2.54; p = 0.22). Eventually, 9 patients (7.9%) with multifocal PTMCs underwent surgery and 7 needed total thyroidectomy, although 7 still showed T1N0M0 low-risk cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Even patients with multiple PTMCs (T1amN0M0) are good candidates for AS. Many patients can avoid total thyroidectomy and subsequent surgical complications.

Non-functioning oxyphilic parathyroid carcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Non-functioning parathyroid carcinoma is an extremely rare malignancy among endocrine tumors. We report a case in which non-functional oxyphilic parathyroid carcinoma was diagnosed from clinical symptoms and pathological diagnosis. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 42-year-old man with no medical or family history of note. He had presented to a local hospital with a neck mass 2 months earlier. Medullary thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed and he was referred to our department. A 3.5-cm mass was observed in the left thyroid lobe. Laboratory data for thyroid functions, thyroglobulin, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies, serum calcium, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were all within normal ranges. Ultrasonography revealed a 40-mm irregular, hypoechoic mass throughout the left thyroid lobe. Follicular thyroid tumor was suspected from fine-needle aspiration cytology. Left lobectomy was performed. Pathological features revealed a thick fibrous capsule around the tumor, and a thick fibrous band was observed inside the tumor. Both capsular invasions and vascular invasions were observed. Tumor cells were eosinophilic and displayed solid growth. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were negative for thyroid transcription factor-1, negative for thyroglobulin, negative for chromogranin A (positive for normal parathyroid tissue within the nodule), positive for PTH, and positive for parafibromin. Ki-67 labeling index was 10%. Based on these findings, non-functional oxyphilic parathyroid carcinoma was diagnosed. One and a half years postoperatively, calcium and PTH were within normal ranges, and he has shown no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Non-functioning oxyphilic parathyroid carcinoma is an extremely rare malignancy, and definitive diagnosis is difficult to obtain preoperatively. Few reports have been made worldwide, and information on the long-term prognosis is scarce. Long-term surveillance by imaging is mandatory, since no indices that can be used as a marker for postoperative recurrence and metastasis have been identified.