Preoperative US-guided hook-needle insertion in recurrent lymph nodes of papillary thyroid cancer: a help for the surgeon.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to investigate whether preoperative ultrasound guided insertion of a hook-needle is useful in reoperations for cervical recurrent lymph node metastases of papillary thyroid cancer.


METHODS
8 patients with operated papillary thyroid cancer were included in this study. They all had suspicious nonpalpable cervical lymph nodes discovered during follow-up. These lymph nodes were identified by ultrasound imaging and their metastatic nature was confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology and measurement of in situ thyroglobulin. In all cases, surgical excision of these lymph nodes was decided. All 8 patients had a hook-needle inserted in the suspicious lymph node(s) preoperatively and under ultrasound guidance.


CONCLUSIONS
In all 8 patients, the suspicious lymph nodes were removed and their metastatic nature was confirmed by the final pathological examination. This localization technique is very helpful for the surgeon during the excision of small and nonpalpable lymph nodes, especially in previously operated area.
Duprez
Raphaëlle
R
Radiology department, Hôpital Porte-Madeleine, CHR Orléans, BP 2439, 45032 Orléans Cedex 1, France. raphaelle.duprez@wanadoo.fr
Lebas
Patrick
P
Marc
Olivier Saint
OS
Mongeois
Elise
E
Emy
Philippe
P
Michenet
Patrick
P
D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*