Is minimally invasive surgery appropriate for small differentiated thyroid carcinomas?
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.
Ruggieri
Massimo
M
Department of Surgery Francesco Durante, Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Zullino
Antonio
A
Straniero
Andrea
A
Maiuolo
Amelia
A
Fumarola
Angela
A
Vietri
Francesco
F
D'Armiento
Massimino
M
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
D015415:Biomarkers; D013972:Thyrotropin