title: Transoral robotic resection of an ectopic tongue-base thyroid gland.
abstract: Lingual thyroid is an uncommon condition, often asymptomatic. Given its benign nature, every treatment should be well balanced in terms of advantages and local morbidity. When a treatment is planned, medical and surgical therapy should be weighed against each other. Among surgical options, robotic techniques offer several advantages compared to traditional transoral procedures and external approaches, in terms of ability of resection, morbidity and quality of life. Here we present the case of a patient with tongue-base ectopic thyroid managed by means of transoral robotic surgery. The intuitiveness of the procedure associated with very minimal invasiveness are confirmed in this case. Particularly when dealing with benign lesions that involve hard-to-reach regions such as the tongue base, robotic techniques should be considered as a truly valid alternative to traditional techniques.
authors.affiliation: ENT Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa, 2, Pisa, Italy. iacopodallan@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Iacopo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dallan
authors.affiliation: Department of Special Surgery, ENT and Oral Surgery Unit, Ospedale Morgagni Pietrantoni-University of Pavia, Forlì, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montevecchi
authors.affiliation: ENT Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa, 2, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Seccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Special Surgery, ENT and Oral Surgery Unit, Ospedale Morgagni Pietrantoni-University of Pavia, Forlì, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicini
authors.affiliation: ENT Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa, 2, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segnini
authors.affiliation: ENT Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa, 2, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Augusto Pietro
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Casani
authors.affiliation: ENT Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa, 2, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sellari-Franceschini
keywords: Ectopic thyroid; Robotic surgery; Tongue base; Transoral approach; Transoral robotic surgery