Benign Goiter Research Articles

Acute Pancreatitis Induced by Methimazole in a Patient With Subclinical Hyperthyroidism.

We report here a unique case of methimazole (MMI)-induced pancreatitis. To our knowledge, this is the sixth case reported in the literature and the first diagnosed in a patient with toxic multinodular goiter. A 51-year-old Caucasian female with a history of benign multinodular goiter and subclinical hyperthyroidism was started on MMI 10 mg orally daily. Three weeks later, she developed sharp epigastric pain, diarrhea, lack of appetite, and fever. Her lipase was elevated 5 times the upper limit of normal, consistent with acute pancreatitis. There was no history of hypertriglyceridemia, or alcohol abuse. Abdominal computed tomography was consistent with acute uncomplicated pancreatitis, without evidence of gallstones or tumors. MMI was discontinued, and her hyperthyroid symptoms were managed with propranolol. Her acute episode of pancreatitis quickly resolved clinically and biochemically. One year later, she redeveloped mild clinical symptoms of hyperthyroidism with biochemical evidence of subclinical hyperthyroidism. MMI 10 mg orally daily was restarted. Five days later, she experienced progressive abdominal discomfort. Her lipase was elevated 12 times the upper limit of normal, and the abdominal computed tomography was again compatible with acute uncomplicated pancreatitis. MMI was again discontinued, which was followed by rapid resolution of her pancreatitis. The patient is currently considering undergoing definitive therapy with radioactive iodine ablation. Our case as well as previous case reports in the literature should raise awareness about the possibility of pancreatitis in subjects treated with MMI in the presence of suggestive symptoms. If the diagnosis is confirmed by elevated pancreatic enzymes, the drug should be discontinued.

In Situ Hybridization Analysis of miR-146b-5p and miR-21 in Thyroid Nodules: Diagnostic Implications.

Some thyroid nodules such as follicular adenomas (FAs), follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinomas (FVPTCs), and follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs) exhibit similar clinical presentations and gross morphologic appearances. The differential diagnosis of these lesions is sometimes difficult based on morphologic, cytologic, or clinical features alone. miR-146b-5p and miR-21 deregulation has been associated with progression and metastasis of thyroid cancers. However, the utility of in situ hybridization (ISH) to determine the cellular localization, diagnostic, and prognostic significance of miR-146b-5p and miR-21 expression in thyroid tumors has not been extensively analyzed. In order to examine the expression of miR-146b-5p and miR-21 in benign and malignant thyroid tissues and to determine if these microRNAs could be assigned to distinct histomorphological types of thyroid nodules, we analyzed miR-146b-5p and miR-21 expression in thyroid nodules on tissue microarrays (TMAs) with 193 thyroid specimens by ISH. miR-146b-5p and miR-21 expression in thyroid tissues was also analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). miR-146b-5p was highly expressed (89%) in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) and 41% of FVPTC. The expression of miR-146b-5p was not expressed in most FTCs, anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATCs), poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas (PDTCs), or FAs (7, 8, 0, and 0%, respectively). MiR-21 was overexpressed in 83% of ATCs, 79 % of PTCs, 34% of FVPTCs, and 19% of PDTCs. The expression of miR-21 was not expressed in most FAs (9%) or FTCs (4%). Normal thyroid tissues and most benign goiters were negative for miR-146b-5p and miR-21. qRT-PCR analysis supported the ISH findings. PTC cases with positive expression of miR-146b-5p and miR-21 had significantly poorer disease-free survival rates. Immunohistochemical staining for HBME-1 showed positive staining in PTCs (100 %) and FVPTCs (92 %) with a subset of FTC (40%) staining positive, while all FAs were negative. Since miR-146b-5p was mainly expressed in PTC including FVPTC and was not expressed in most FTC, PDTC, or ATC, it may serve as a useful diagnostic marker for PTC. ISH is a useful method to analyze microRNA expression in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded thyroid tissues.

Systemic Oxidative Stress to Nucleic Acids Is Unaltered Following Radioiodine Therapy of Patients with Benign Nodular Goiter

Background: Little is known about the whole body oxidative stress burden following radioactive iodine (¹³¹I) therapy of thyroid diseases. Methods: We studied 17 patients with benign nodular goiter treated with ¹³¹I therapy. The targeted thyroid dose was 50 Gy in 11 patients pretreated with 0.1 mg of recombinant human TSH (rhTSH). In 6 patients, the applied thyroid dose was 100 Gy without rhTSH prestimulation. Well-established biomarkers of oxidative stress to RNA (8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine; 8-oxoGuo) and DNA (8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine; 8-oxodG) were measured in freshly voided morning urine (normalized against the creatinine concentration) at baseline, and 7 and 21 days after rhTSH (not followed by ¹³¹I), and 7 and 21 days after ¹³¹I therapy, respectively. Results: The baseline urinary excretions of 8-oxoGuo and 8-oxodG were 2.20 ± 0.84 and 1.63 ± 0.70 nmol/mmol creatinine, respectively. We found no significant changes in the excretion of any of the metabolites, neither after rhTSH stimulation alone nor after ¹³¹I therapy. Also, no significant differences were found between the rhTSH group (low dose, median ¹³¹I: 152 MBq) and the non-rhTSH group (high dose, median ¹³¹I: 419 MBq; 8-oxoGuo: p = 0.66, 8-oxodG: p = 0.71). Conclusion: Systemic oxidative stress, as detected by nucleic acids metabolites in the urine, is not increased after thyroid stimulation with 0.1 mg of rhTSH, or after ¹³¹I therapy. Our method cannot quantify the oxidative stress induced locally in the thyroid gland, but the study supports that ¹³¹I therapy of benign nodular goiter carries no or only a minute risk of developing subsequent malignancies. It remains to be explored whether our findings also apply to hyperthyroid disorders.

Quality of life in patients with benign nontoxic goiter: impact of disease and treatment response, and comparison with the general population.

While health-related quality of life (HRQoL) issues often prompt treatment of benign nontoxic goiter (NTG), few clinical studies have systematically assessed HRQoL in patients with this condition. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate thyroid-related and generic HRQoL in patients with benign NTG, as compared to the general population, before and six months after treatment. Thyroid-related and generic HRQoL were assessed with Thyroid Patient-Reported Outcome (ThyPRO) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36), respectively. Baseline and six-month post-treatment HRQoL assessments were obtained from 111 patients with NTG who underwent radioiodine therapy (32%), hemithyroidectomy (53%), total thyroidectomy (12%), or cyst aspiration with ethanol sclerotherapy (4%). Euthyroid patients were enrolled at baseline, 80% of whom remained euthyroid six months post-treatment, with 20% experiencing subclinical thyroid dysfunction. Normative ThyPRO (n=739) and SF-36 (n=6638) data were collected from representative general population samples. Score differences between patients and the general population were analyzed with multivariate linear regression analysis, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidity, and educational status. Changes in scores between baseline and follow-up were analyzed with the paired t-test, and magnitudes of score changes were evaluated as effect sizes (mean difference/SDbaseline; 0.2-0.5 indicating small, 0.5-0.8 moderate, and >0.8 large effects). Patients' baseline scores were significantly worse than those in the general population on 9 of the 13 ThyPRO scales. Six months after treatment, the patients' ThyPRO scores had improved on six scales, with large/moderate effects on the Goiter Symptoms and Anxiety scales. However, on eight scales, the post-treatment patient scores were still significantly worse than the general population scores. At baseline, patients had worse scores than the general population on four of the eight SF-36 scales and the SF-36 Mental Component Summary, none of which improved after treatment. Compared with the general population, patients with NTG had greatest HRQoL impairment at baseline on the Goiter Symptoms and Anxiety scales, which also demonstrated the largest post-treatment improvements. However, both disease-specific and generic HRQoL deficits persisted six months after treatment. In order to improve individualized care, future studies should focus on identifying risk factors for persistent HRQoL deficits and compare HRQoL effects of the various goiter treatment modalities in relation to thyroid phenotype.

Abnormal Expression of DNA Double-Strand Breaks Related Genes, ATM and GammaH2AX, in Thyroid Carcinoma.

ATM and γH2AX play a vital role in the detection of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and DNA damage response (DDR). This study aims to investigate ATM and γH2AX expression in thyroid cancer and discuss possible relationship between thyroid function tests and DNA damage. The expression of ATM and γH2AX was detected by immunohistochemistry in 30 cases of benign nodular goiter, 110 cases of well differentiated thyroid cancer, 22 cases of poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, and 21 cases of anaplastic thyroid cancer. Clinicopathological features, including differentiation stages, distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis, T classification, TNM stage, and tests of thyroid functions (TPOAb, Tg Ab, T3, FT3, T4, FT4, TSH, and Tg), were reviewed and their associations with γH2AX and ATM were analyzed. γH2AX and ATM expressed higher in thyroid cancer tissues than in benign nodular goiter and normal adjacent tissues. γH2AX was correlated with ATM in thyroid cancer. Both γH2AX and ATM expression were associated with FT3. γH2AX was also associated with T classification, TNM stage, FT4, TSH, and differentiation status. Therefore both of ATM and γH2AX seem to correlate with thyroid hormones and γH2AX plays a role in the differentiation status of thyroid cancer.

Mogu li lekovi da smanje tiroidne noduse?

Although the good effects of applying thyroid gland extracts in treating goiters were noticed more than a century ago, the justification of TSH suppressive therapy in treating benign thyroid nodules is still controversial. Because of the lack of evidence of its beneficial therapeutical efficiency, it is possibile to apply L-thyroxine in only selected cases. This attitude is supported by the fact that, up to now, only the patients with the diffuse, diffuse-nodular and multinodular goiters, from the areas with various iodine intake, were included into studies. The achieved size regression, defined as a successful curing, was in the ratio up to ~50%, the better results being achieved in curing diffuse multinodular goiters. On the other hand, the reports from several randomized trials lead to the conclusion that a short-term application of L-thyroxine in solitary nontoxic thyroid nodules does not have an advantage over the placebo. The aplication of iodine is equally efficient as the suppression by L-thyroxine, but it was practically abandoned because of the side effects. If treating by L-thyroxine is the choice, the dose of the given drug should be the one necessary to supress the level of TSH from 0,1 to 0,3 mU/L. The treating period should be from 6 to 12 months. A long-term therapy is reserved only for the cases where the nodule size reduction has been confirmed by echotomography. But note that there is a possibility of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, as well as of cardiac complications in elderly. Percutaneous ethanol injection into benign solitary cold nodules, as well as iodine therapy following the applicacion of a recombinat humane TSH in benign nontoxic multinodular goiters, are the ways of curing that promise, but a more solid evidence is necessary for their broader therapeutical application.

Total Thyroidectomy in Multinodular Goiter: An African Experience

Introduction: Total thyroidectomy is an operation that involves the surgical removal of the whole thyroid gland, with the preservation of the parathyroid glands. The aim of the present study was to assess the complication rates of total thyroidectomy on benign indication and first-time thyroid surgery and investigate the early outcome after opotherapy. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for benign multinodular goiter in the department of thoracic surgery in our Hospital from January 2012 to December 2014 were included. In postoperative time, we evaluated surgical complication, histopathological examination and opotherapy. Results: A total 53 patients underwent total thyroidectomy for multmodular goiter; they were 49 (92.45%) bilateral and 4 (7.55%) unilateral (recurrence). The mean age was 47 years and mean diameter of goiter was 10.75 cm. Among the patients 88.68% were females and 11.32% were male. Preoperative hormonal statuses were (70%) in euthyroid and (30%) hyperthyroid following surgery complications like transient laryngeal nerve palsy (3.77%), transient hypocalcemia (7.55%), hematoma (1.9%) and wound infection (1.9%). On histopathological examination of the surgical specimen, 5.7% were reported to be malignant. Six month following surgery 92.45% of patients was a good hormonal balance. Conclusion: Total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter has a low morbidity and mortality; this procedure olves both the problem of recurrence of disease and reintervention. The opotherapy is doable with a good hormonal balance.

Total Thyroidectomy for Management of Benign Multinodular Goitre in an Endemic Region: Review of 620 Cases

Introduction : The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficiency of total thyroidectomy (TT) when performed by an experienced surgeon in benign multinodular goitre (BMNG) in an endemic region. Materials and Methods : A total of six hundred and twenty consecutive patients, who underwent a total thyroidectomy for BMNG between July 1004 and May 1011, were reviewed in this study.Results : Of the one hundred and nine men and 511 women examined, the mean ± SD (standard deviation) ages were 48 ± 14 in men (range: 19–79) and 51 ± 16 in women (range: 18–84 years). The annual mean number of operation was 80 ± 14 (range: 68–86). The mean operation time lasted 64 ± 11 minutes (range: 48–95). About 1.3 ± 0.4 (range: 1–4) parathyroid glands were observed during thyroidectomy. Parathyroid auto transplantation was performed in seventy-eight patients (11.5%). Patient-stay in hospital was approximately 1.3 ± 0.3 days (range: 1–5). TT was performed in all patients as the primary operation. Pathologic findings revealed BMNG in four hundred and seventy (75.8%) cases, papillary carcinoma in 66 (10.3%), thyroiditis in 59 (9.5%), follicular carcinoma in 10 (1.6%), follicular adenoma in 5 (0.8%), and thyroid lymphoma in 3 cases (0.5%). Postoperatively, bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury was seen in one case (0.3%) and unilateral RLN injury in 5 (0.8%) cases. Three months later, only three cases (0.5%) were permanent. The histological diagnosis in all patients with permanent RLN injury was thyroiditis. Transient hypoparathyroidism was found in forty-eight cases (7.8%), three of which (0.5%) were permanent. Four cases were re-operated due to re-bleeding (0.6%). Seroma developed in three cases (0.5%) and wound infection in two (0.3%). Conclusion : TT can be performed safely by an experienced surgeon with a minimal risk in a high volume hospital.

Detection of plasma BRAF(V600E) mutation is associated with lung metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinomas.

PurposeThe BRAFV600E mutation represents a novel indicator of the progression and aggressiveness of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of free circulating mutant BRAFV600E in predicting the advanced disease of PTC.Materials and MethodsSeventy seven matched tumor and plasma samples obtained from patients with both benign and PTC were analyzed for BRAFV600E mutation using a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamp real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).ResultsThe BRAFV600E mutation was absent in tumor DNA samples obtained from patients with benign follicular adenomas or adenomatous goiter. In contrast, 49 of 72 (68.1%) PTC tumors were positive for the BRAFV600E mutation. Among them, 3 (6.1%) patients with PTC were positive for BRAFV600E mutation in plasma and tumor. However, all 3 patients (100%) had lateral lymph node and lung metastasis.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the BRAFV600E mutation can be detected using a PNA clamp real-time PCR in the blood of PTC patients with lung metastasis. Future studies are warranted to determine clinical significance of serum BRAFV600E mutation in large prospective studies.

Type of operation for multinodular goitre and solitary nodule

Many countries and medical associations have developed guidelines for the management of benign thyroid conditions, including the surgical management of multinodular goitre and the non-toxic solitary thyroid adenoma. It is clearly stated in most guidelines that the aim of the surgical procedure is the safe and definite management of the thyroid pathology. Our aim is to provide evidence to support or reject different kinds of surgical procedures used for the management of non-toxic thyroid conditions i.e. multinodular goitre and solitary nodule. Thyroid nodules are common in the general population. Only 4–8% are clinically detectable, but US has shown the incidence to be 13–67%. Many studies have reported that malignancy can be found in 5% of these nodules. The aim of this paper is to present the facts, the pros and cons of each operation used for the management of these thyroid conditions, and provide evidence concerning the ideal procedure that combines safety with the most definite results. Despite the fact that most authors, experts and relevant medical associations currently consider total thyroidectomy (TT) as the gold standard for the management of benign goitre, there is still debate in the literature. It seems that when compared to less radical operations, TT has a lower recurrence rate, and hence a lower risk for complications associated with a reoperation. Moreover, in expert hands, it is equally as safe as less radical procedures in terms of permanent complications (i.e hypoparathyroidism and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury). Nevertheless, subtotal thyroidectomy (ST) has been found to be safer in terms of temporary complications since lower rates have been recorded. The incidence of “occult thyroid cancers” ranges from 3% to 16.6% (level II–III); therefore, if initial surgery is anything less than TT or near-total thyroidectomy, a reoperation is indicated. Obviously, the high recurrence rate along with the significant rate of occult thyroid cancers increases the need for necessary reoperations after a ST; as a result, associated morbidity increases. The incidence of occult cancer in benign solitary non-toxic nodules is 5%, irrespective of the size of the nodule. The literature describes two acceptable surgical options, each with its pros and cons: an upfront TT or a total lobectomy, and in the case of an occult cancer, a completion total thyroidectomy. Both approaches are acceptable to the surgical community and are included in the national guidelines.

Recombinant human thyrotropin before (131)I therapy in patients with nodular goitre: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) can be used to enhance radioiodine therapy for shrinking multinodular goitre. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of rhTSH pretreatment and radioiodine therapy with that of radioiodine alone for treating benign nodular goitre. The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched to identify studies published before September 2014. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate the pooled effect size using random-effects models. The primary outcome was the reduction in thyroid volume. Secondary outcomes included thyroid function, extent of tracheal compression, radioactive iodine uptake, incidence of hypothyroidism and other complications. Nine RCTs including 416 patients were selected. The reductions in thyroid volume were significantly greater in the rhTSH pretreatment groups than those in the radioiodine alone groups at 12 months (weighted mean difference: 14·42%; 95% CI: 4·51-24·34% in high-dose rhTSH vs radioiodine alone; weighted mean difference: 19·66%; 95% CI: 3·67-35·65% in low-dose rhTSH vs radioiodine alone). The incidence of hypothyroidism in the high-dose rhTSH groups was significantly higher than that in the radioiodine alone groups. No significant difference in the incidence of hypothyroidism occurred between the low-dose rhTSH groups and the radioiodine alone groups. The overall results indicated that using rhTSH before radioiodine therapy resulted in a greater thyroid volume reduction than radioiodine therapy alone. An increased incidence of hypothyroidism was observed in patients receiving high-dose rhTSH. Low-dose rhTSH before radioiodine therapy is more efficacious than radioiodine therapy alone for treating nontoxic benign thyroid nodules.

Radiofrequency ablation of benign symptomatic thyroid nodules: prospective safety and efficacy study.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a relatively novel procedure in the management of benign nodular goiter. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous RFA for benign symptomatic thyroid nodules as an alternative to surgery. The study involved patients for whom a fine needle aspiration biopsy had proved a diagnosis of benign nodular goiter and had nodule-related symptoms such as dysphagia, cosmetic problems, sensation of foreign body in the neck, hyperthyroidism due to autonomous nodules or fear of malignancy. Percutaneous RFA was performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. The primary outcome was an evaluation of the changes in symptom scores (0-10) for pain, dysphagia and foreign body sensation at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months after the RFA procedure. Secondary outcomes were assessing volume changes in nodules, complication rates, and changes in thyroid function status. A total of 33 patients (24% female, 76% male) and a total of 65 nodules were included into the study. More than one nodule was treated in 63.6% of the patients. We found a statistically significant improvement from baseline to values at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months, respectively, as follows: pain scores (2.9 ± 2.7, 2.3 ± 2.01, 1.8 ± 1.7, and 1.5 ± 1.2, p 0.005), dysphagia scores (3.9 ± 2.7, 2.6 ± 1.9; 1.7 ± 1.6, and 1.1 ± 0.3, p 0.032), and foreign body sensation scores 3.6 ± 3, 2.5 ± 2.2; 1.6 ± 1.5, and 1.1 ± 0.4, p 0.002).The mean pre-treatment nodule volume was 7.3 ± 8.3 mL. There was a statistically significant size reduction in the nodules at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months after RFA (3.5 ± 3.8, 2.7 ± 3.4, and 1.2 ± 1.7 mL, p 0.002). The volume reduction was found to be 74% at 6th months following the RFA (p 0.005). 8 patients had autonomously functioning nodules in the pre-treatment period, 50% (n: 4) became euthyroid at the 6th month after RFA. There were no complaints other than pain (12%). RFA can be an alternative treatment modality in the management of benign symptomatic thyroid nodules. The results showed that it is a safe and effective procedure.

A Conservative Approach Is Reasonable in Patients with Non-Toxic Goitre: Results from an Observational Study during 30 Years

Background: There is a lack of consensus in Europe regarding the management of patients with benign goitre. The object of this study was to find out the long-term results of recommending to patients with clinically and cytologically benign non-toxic goitres not to be operated. Methods: 980 patients were initially referred for surgical evaluation due to non-toxic goitre, 508 of whom underwent directly thyroidectomy. The remaining 473 patients (median age 56 years) were not operated and followed prospectively for a median period of 145 months. Results: During follow-up, 38% of the 473 patients were re-referred to the surgeon for a new evaluation due to different complaints, mainly growth of the goitre and/or worsening of local symptoms. 102 of the 473 patients (22%) had surgery and 27 (5.7%) developed thyrotoxicosis. 14 patients (3%) were diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma, 4 (0.46%) of whom (all elderly women) died of the disease. Conclusions: In patients with non-toxic goitre in whom surgery is not deemed necessary at initial evaluation, a conservative approach is reasonable. There is, however, a small risk for the development of aggressive carcinomas, and a fourth of the patients are operated at a median follow-up of 12 years.

Surgical assessment of complications after thyroid gland operations

The extent, magnitude and technical equipment used for thyroid surgery has changed considerably in Germany during the last decade. The number of thyroidectomies due to benign goiter have decreased while the extent of thyroidectomy, nowadays preferentially total thyroidectomy, has increased. Due to an increased awareness of surgical complications the number of malpractice claims is increasing. In contrast to surgical databases the frequency of complications in malpractice claims reflects the individual impact of complications on the quality of life. In contrast to surgical databases unilateral and bilateral vocal fold palsy are therefore at the forefront of malpractice claims. As guidelines are often not applicable for the individual surgical expert review, the question arises which are the relevant criteria for the professional expert witness assessing the severity of the individual complication. While in surgical databases major complications after thyroidectomy, such as vocal fold palsy, hypoparathyroidism, hemorrhage and infections are equally frequent (1-3 %), in malpractice claims vocal fold palsy is significantly more frequent (50 %) compared to hypoparathyroidism (15 %), hemorrhage and infections (about 5 % each). To avoid bilateral nerve palsy intraoperative nerve monitoring has become of utmost importance for surgical strategy and malpractice suits alike. For surgical expert review documentation of individual risk-oriented indications, the surgical approach and postoperative management are highly important. Guidelines only define the treatment corridors of good clinical practice. Surgical expert reviews in malpractice suits concerning quality of care and causality between surgical management, complications and sequelae of complications are therefore highly dependent on the grounds and documentation of risk-oriented indications for thyroidectomy, intraoperative and postoperative surgical management.

Preoperative contrast-enhanced computerized tomography should not delay radioiodine ablation in differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients

BackgroundThere is concern about potential interference of iodinated contrast used in contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) with radioiodine therapy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of iodinated contrast on urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in patients having thyroidectomy compared with control groups without CECT and without thyroidectomy. MethodsThis prospective control study consisted of 4 groups each comprising 32 patients. Group 1- DTC patients undergoing preoperative CECT, group 2- DTC patients not undergoing CECT, group 3- benign goiter patients undergoing preoperative CECT, and group 4- patients with non-thyroidal diseases undergoing preoperative CECT. Spot UIC before CECT, after surgery (5–7 d), and at follow-up (4–6 wk) were compared among the groups. ResultsThe median basal UIC levels were not significantly different between the four groups (232.2 versus 263.9 versus 268.2 versus 178.2 μg/L, respectively, P = 0.443). In contrast, groups having preoperative CECT had significantly higher UIC levels at discharge (924 versus 329 versus 776 versus 661 μg/L, respectively, P = 0.001). These differences became insignificant at follow-up (225 versus 252 versus 310 versus 275 μg/L, respectively, P = 0.505). Patients having follow-up UIC values above the conventional cut-off of clinically relevant iodine excess (>200 μg/L) also had significantly higher basal values than those having lower follow-up values (283.0 versus 181.7 μg/L; P = 0.037). ConclusionsIrrespective of the fact whether a patient is thyroidectomized or not preoperative CECT using non-lipophilic contrast does not result in long-term iodine retention.

Surgical approach in giant retrosternal goiter

Background: A retrosternal goiter occurs when thyroid enlarges downwards into the mediastinum. The natural history is of slow relentless increase in size causing airway compression, venous compression and swallowing problem. The management of a retrosternal goiter, symptomatic or asymptomatic and with or without suspicion of malignancy is surgical. Majority of benign retrosternal goiters can be delivered and resected through a standard neck incision. Rarely, however, some cases require additional thoracic access. Case Presentation: A case of giant dumbbell shaped benign retrosternal goiter meriting a planned median sternotomy is reported. Conclusion: Careful evaluation of CECT scan and a planned cervico-thoracic exposure in select cases ensures safe resection of the tumor avoiding major vascular catastrophe.

Evolution of benign thyroid nodules under levothyroxine non-suppressive therapy.

Non-suppressive or partially suppressive L-T4 treatment demonstrated to be effective in reducing the volume of the nodules. However, studies with long follow-up are lacking and significant controversy exists regarding the efficacy of non-suppressive L-T4 treatment in benign nodular goiter. The goal of this study was to determine the evolution of thyroid nodules in subjects treated with a non-suppressive levothyroxine (L-T4) dose, compared to untreated subjects. We followed for a period of 1-9years the thyroid nodule size in 356 female patients in the age range 19-45 at study entry, of which 201 untreated (Group 0) and 165 treated with a non-suppressive L-T4 dose (Group L-T4). We determined the volume of thyroid nodules by ultrasonography. The initial mean nodule volume in Group 0 and Group L-T4 was 3.91±6.87 and 4.01±7.35mL, respectively. Nodule volume increase was inversely correlated to the initial volume. The final volume was slightly higher in untreated than in L-T4 treated subjects (5.37±8.49 and 4.39±6.72mL). In both groups, the mean of annual fold increase of nodule volume was inversely correlated with the follow-up duration (P<0.0046), indicating a slower growth as time advances. In the subjects treated with L-T4, the mean annual increase of nodule volume was significantly minor compared to untreated subjects. Concomitant nodules in ten multinodular goiters exhibited totally independent evolution, demonstrating that intranodular factors are more important for the nodule behavior than extra nodular factors. Our study demonstrates that the growth of benign thyroid nodules is inversely correlated to their size, benign nodules naturally growth slowly as time advances, and that a chronic treatment with L-T4 at a non-TSH-suppressive dose significantly reduces their growth.

Improvement of quality of life in patients with benign goiter after surgical treatment.

A quality of life (QoL) assessment is considered an important outcome measure in the treatment of benign thyroid diseases. The aims of this study were to analyze the impact of different surgical treatments on QoL in patients with benign thyroid diseases and to evaluate factors correlating with the QoL outcomes. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted. One hundred thirty-two patients met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and completed the disease-specific questionnaire, thyroid patient-reported outcome (ThyPRO), before surgery and after 6 months. Preoperative and postoperative QoL outcomes were compared and correlating factors were analyzed. Indication for surgery was euthyroid goiter, toxic goiter, and suspicious malignant thyroid disease in 58.3, 29.5, and 12.1 % of the patients, respectively. None of the patients had overtly toxic goiter. There were 65.2 % of the patients who underwent total thyroidectomy, while 34.8 % underwent hemithyroidectomy. The total postoperative complication rate was 5.3 %. QoL improved significantly after surgical treatment, independent of the extent of performed surgery. The most affected domain, pre- and postoperative, was for tiredness. QoL improvement was significant for women in all domains, while for men, it was significant in only three domains (goiter symptoms, emotional susceptibility, and cosmetic complaints) and in overall QoL. Younger patients had significantly better cognitive functioning and daily life, while elderly patients had significantly less cosmetic complaints. The factors that significantly correlated with improvement of QoL in different domains were lower education level, duration of disease, and microcarcinoma at final histology. QoL in patients with benign thyroid diseases improves significantly after operative treatment, independent of the extent of the operation.

Endoscopic thyroidectomy via areola approach: summary of 1,250 cases in a single institution

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect and cosmetic results of endoscopic thyroidectomy (ETE) via the areola approach for patients with thyroid diseases. A total of 1,250 patients with thyroid diseases underwent ETE via the areola approach between April 2005 and January 2011. Of these, 898 were benign goiters, 260 were Graves' disease, 28 were secondary hyperthyroidism, and 64 were papillary carcinomas. The surgery was successfully completed in 1,249 cases, and 1 case was converted to open surgery. The mean operation time, estimated blood loss, and hospital stay after surgery for patients with a goiter, hyperthyroidism, and papillary carcinoma were 94.4 min, 15.2 ml, 5.0 days, 97.9 min, 16.1 ml, 5.5 days, and 134.3 min, 18.6 ml, 6.4 days, respectively. Complications included 4 cases of postoperative bleeding, 1 case of transection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) on one side, 7 cases of temporary RLN injury, 34 cases of transient hypocalcemia, 5 cases of skin bruising on the chest wall, and 1 case of subcutaneous infection in the neck. At 4.6-year (2.5-8 years) follow-up of 1,185 (94.8 %) patients, 3 patients with Graves' disease had recurrence of hyperthyroidism, and 4 patients with nodular goiter had recurrence of small nodules. Four patients had discomfort on swallowing, 4 patients had an abnormal sensation of skin traction on the neck and the chest, and 1 patient with scar diathesis had mild scar hyperplasia. A total of 876 patients were satisfied, 4 equivocal, and 0 unsatisfied with the cosmetic results. ETE via the areola approach for patients with benign goiters, Graves' disease, secondary hyperthyroidism, and papillary carcinomas without metastasis to lateral cervical lymph nodes is an effective and safe procedure with excellent cosmetic results.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis of thyroid-a diagnostic dilemma.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease of antigen presenting cells and involvement of thyroid is really uncommon. The thyroid if involved is usually seen in multisystem disease but isolated thyroid involvement is very rare. The diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the thyroid is very challenging due to its rarity and is usually misdiagnosed as benign goiters, undifferentiated carcinoma, lymphoma, etc. Management of Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the thyroid also remains controversial. Prognosis in an isolated Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the thyroid is usually good but as it may precede a multisystem involvement, prolonged follow-up is required. We present a rare case of Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the thyroid, with variable diagnoses on fine needle aspiration cytology.