title: Is minimally invasive surgery appropriate for small differentiated thyroid carcinomas?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively evaluate the surgical completeness of minimally invasive total thyroidectomy for small (<20 mm) differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects of this study were 30 patients who underwent minimally invasive total thyroidectomy as a single procedure. We registered the following postoperative measurements in the LT4 withdrawal period: serum thyroglobulin level, 6-h radioiodine uptake diagnostic test results, and neck ultrasound (US) findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum thyroglobulin level was 4.99 +/- 4.67 ng/ml, the mean radioiodine uptake diagnostic test after 6 h was 3.11% +/- 2.90%, and US showed no thyroid remnant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short-term outcome measures showed adequate resection of thyroid tissue, comparable with that reported after conventional surgery. Our findings suggest that small nodules with suspicious or malignant cytology are one of the best indications for minimally invasive surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery Francesco Durante, Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zullino
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Straniero
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maiuolo
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fumarola
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vietri
authors.forename: Massimino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Armiento
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D013972:Thyrotropin