Video-assisted thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Background. The results of video-assisted thyroidectomy (VAT) were evaluated in a large series of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), especially in terms of completeness of the surgical resection and short-to-medium term recurrence. Methods. The medical records of all patients who underwent video-assisted thyroidectomy for PTC between June 1998 and May 2009 were reviewed. Results. Three hundred fifty-nine patients were included. One hundred twenty-six patients underwent concomitant central neck node removal. Final histology showed 285 pT1, 26 pT2, and 48 pT3 PTC. Lymph node metastases were found in 27 cases. Follow-up was completed in 315 patients. Mean postoperative serum thyroglobulin level off levothyroxine was 5.4 ng/mL. Post operative ultrasonography showed no residual thyroid tissue in all the patients. Mean post-operative (131)I uptake was 1.7%. One patient developed lateral neck recurrence. No other recurrence was observed.
Division of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Policlinico "A. Gemelli", L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Celestino Pio
CP
Lombardi
Marco
M
Raffaelli
Carmela
C
De Crea
Annamaria
A
D'Amore
Luigi
L
Oragano
Massimo
M
Salvatori
Rocco
R
Bellantone