RESUMEN

The central compartment is a common site for nodal spread from differentiated thyroid carcinoma, often occurring in patients without clinical or ultrasonographic (US) evidence of neck lymph node metastasis (cN0). However, the role of elective central compartment neck dissection (CND) among patients with DTC remains controversial. We performed a systematic literature review, also including review of international guidelines, with discussion of anatomic and technical aspects, as well as risks and benefits of performing elective CND. The recent literature does not uniformly support or refute elective CND in patients with DTC, and therefore an individualized approach is warranted which considers individual surgeon experience, including individual recurrence and complication rates. Patients (especially older males) with large tumors (>4 cm) and extrathyroidal extension are more likely to benefit from elective CND, but elective CND also increases risk for hypoparathyroidism and recurrent nerve injury, especially when operated by low-volume surgeons. Individual surgeons who perform elective CND must ensure the number of central compartment dissections needed to prevent one recurrence (number needed to treat) is not disproportionate to their individual number of central compartment dissections per related complication (number needed to harm).

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RESUMEN

Objetivo: Evaluar la hipocalcemia y lesión del nervio laríngeo recurrente secundaria a tiroidectomía total acompañada de disección del compartimiento central en cáncer papilar de tiroides. Sede: Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, México. Diseño: Estudio clínico descriptivo, observacional, prospectivo, longitudinal. Análisis estadístico: Porcentajes como medida de resumen para variables cualitativas. Pacientes y métodos: Veinte y cuatro pacientes con diagnóstico de cáncer papilar de tiroides (CPT) establecido mediante citología y/o histopatología, que se llevaron a disección central del cuello como parte del tratamiento quirúrgico inicial con seguimiento mínimo de 6 meses. Variables estudiadas: Tiempo quirúrgico, sangrado transoperatorio, movilidad cordal evaluadas por laringoscopia directa pre y postoperatoriamente, hipocalcemia e hipoparatiroidismo, reintervención y número de ganglios resecados. Resultados: De los 24 pacientes, 16 con enfermedad confinada al tiroides y 8 con afección al cuello, el tiempo quirúrgico medio de 2 a 4.30 horas con una media de 2.2, sangrado de 100 a 400 ml con media de 196 ml. Un paciente con hipocalcemia transitoria, cero pacientes con hipocalcemia permanente corroborado con paratohormona, cero lesiones del nervio laríngeo recurrente (NLRL), cero reintervenciones, el número de ganglios resecados fue de 7 a 16. Conclusiones: La morbilidad de la tiroidectomía total más disección del compartimiento central fue de hipocalcemia transitoria de 4.1%. No existió lesión de nervio laríngeo recurrente ni hipoparatiroidismo.

Objective: To assess hypocalcemia and injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve secondary to total thyroidectomy plus central compartment dissection in papillary thyroid cancer. Setting: National Institute of Cancerology, Mexico Design: Descriptive, observational, retrospective, prospective, longitudinal clinical study. Statistical analysis: Percentages as summary measure for qualitative variables. Patients and methods: Twenty-four patients with diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), established by cytology and histopathology, subjected to central dissection of the neck as part of the initial surgical treatment with a follow-up of at least 6 months. Assessed variables were: surgical time, trans-operative bleeding, vocal cords mobility, assessed through direct laryngoscopy pre- and postoperatively, hypocalcemia and hypothyroidism, re-intervention, and number of dissected ganglia. Results: Twenty four patients, 16 with thyroid-confined disease, and 8 with neck involvement. Average surgical time of 2 to 4.30 hours, mean of 2.2, bleeding of 100 to 400 ml, mean of 196 ml. One patient with transient hypocalcemia, nill patients with permanent hypocalcemia confirmed with PHT testing, nill Recurrent laryngeal nerve (NLRL) injuries, nill re-interventions; the number of dissected ganglia was 7 to 16. Conclusions: Morbidity of total thyroidectomy plus dissection of the central compartment consisted of transient hypocalcemia (4.1%). Neither recurrent laryngeal nerve injury nor hypoparathyroidism occurred.