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Impact of fine-needle aspiration cytology in thyroidectomy extent and associated surgical morbidity in thyroid cancer

Lind, Patrik ; Nordenström, Erik LU ; Johansson, Lars ; Wallin, Göran and Daskalakis, Kosmas (2024) In Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery 409(1).
Abstract

Purpose: To assess the impact of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the extent of surgery in patients with thyroid cancer (TC) and the associated surgical morbidity in primary and completion setting. Methods: A Swedish nationwide cohort of patients having surgery for TC (n = 2519) from the Scandinavian Quality Register for Thyroid, Parathyroid and Adrenal surgery between 2004 and 2013 was obtained. Data was validated through scrutinizing FNAC and histology reports. Results: Among the 2519 cases operated for TC, the diagnosis was substantiated and validated through the histology report in 2332 cases (92.6%). Among these, 1679 patients (72%) were female, and the median age at TC diagnosis was 52.3 years (range 18–94.6). Less than... (More)

Purpose: To assess the impact of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the extent of surgery in patients with thyroid cancer (TC) and the associated surgical morbidity in primary and completion setting. Methods: A Swedish nationwide cohort of patients having surgery for TC (n = 2519) from the Scandinavian Quality Register for Thyroid, Parathyroid and Adrenal surgery between 2004 and 2013 was obtained. Data was validated through scrutinizing FNAC and histology reports. Results: Among the 2519 cases operated for TC, the diagnosis was substantiated and validated through the histology report in 2332 cases (92.6%). Among these, 1679 patients (72%) were female, and the median age at TC diagnosis was 52.3 years (range 18–94.6). Less than total thyroidectomy (LTT) was undertaken in 944 whereas total thyroidectomy (TT) in 1388 cases. The intermediate FNAC categories of atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/ FLUS), as well as suspicion for follicular neoplasm (SFN) lesions were more often encountered in LTT (n = 314, 33.3%) than TT (n = 63, 4.6%), whereas FNACs suspicion for malignancy and/or malignancy were overrepresented in TT (n = 963, 69.4%). Completion thyroidectomies were undertaken in 553 patients out of 944 that initially had LTT. In 201 cases with cancer lesions > 1 cm, other than FTC (Follicular TC)/ HTC (Hürthle cell TC) subjected to primary LTT, inadequate procedures were undertaken in 81 due to absent, Bethesda I or II FNAC categories, preoperatively. Complications at completion of surgery in this particular setting were 0.5% for RLN palsy (n = 1) and 1% (n = 2) for hypoparathyroidism 6 months postoperatively. The overall postoperative complication rate was higher in primary TT vs. LTT for RLN palsy (4.8% [n = 67] vs. 2.4% [n = 23]; p = 0.003) and permanent hypoparathyroidism (6.8% [n = 95] vs. 0.8% [n = 8]; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: FNAC results appear to affect surgical planning in TC as intermediate FNAC categories lead more often to LTT. Overall, inadequate procedures necessitating completion surgery are encountered in up to 15% of TC patients subjected to LTT due to absent, inconclusive, or misleading FNAC, preoperatively. However, completion of thyroidectomy in this setting did not yield significant surgical morbidity. Primary LTT is a safer primary approach compared to TT in respect of RLN palsy and permanent hypoparathyroidism complication rates; therefore, primary TT should probably be reserved for lesions > 1 cm or even larger with suspicion for malignancy or malignant FNAC.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Fine-needle aspiration cytology, Surgical morbidity, Thyroid cancer
in
Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery
volume
409
issue
1
article number
68
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:38374242
  • scopus:85185472147
ISSN
1435-2443
DOI
10.1007/s00423-024-03258-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ace3f427-9f69-45cb-b027-eb9e5f9ec234
date added to LUP
2024-03-14 14:34:56
date last changed
2024-04-25 11:17:55
@article{ace3f427-9f69-45cb-b027-eb9e5f9ec234,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose: To assess the impact of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the extent of surgery in patients with thyroid cancer (TC) and the associated surgical morbidity in primary and completion setting. Methods: A Swedish nationwide cohort of patients having surgery for TC (n = 2519) from the Scandinavian Quality Register for Thyroid, Parathyroid and Adrenal surgery between 2004 and 2013 was obtained. Data was validated through scrutinizing FNAC and histology reports. Results: Among the 2519 cases operated for TC, the diagnosis was substantiated and validated through the histology report in 2332 cases (92.6%). Among these, 1679 patients (72%) were female, and the median age at TC diagnosis was 52.3 years (range 18–94.6). Less than total thyroidectomy (LTT) was undertaken in 944 whereas total thyroidectomy (TT) in 1388 cases. The intermediate FNAC categories of atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/ FLUS), as well as suspicion for follicular neoplasm (SFN) lesions were more often encountered in LTT (n = 314, 33.3%) than TT (n = 63, 4.6%), whereas FNACs suspicion for malignancy and/or malignancy were overrepresented in TT (n = 963, 69.4%). Completion thyroidectomies were undertaken in 553 patients out of 944 that initially had LTT. In 201 cases with cancer lesions &gt; 1 cm, other than FTC (Follicular TC)/ HTC (Hürthle cell TC) subjected to primary LTT, inadequate procedures were undertaken in 81 due to absent, Bethesda I or II FNAC categories, preoperatively. Complications at completion of surgery in this particular setting were 0.5% for RLN palsy (n = 1) and 1% (n = 2) for hypoparathyroidism 6 months postoperatively. The overall postoperative complication rate was higher in primary TT vs. LTT for RLN palsy (4.8% [n = 67] vs. 2.4% [n = 23]; p = 0.003) and permanent hypoparathyroidism (6.8% [n = 95] vs. 0.8% [n = 8]; p &lt; 0.0001). Conclusions: FNAC results appear to affect surgical planning in TC as intermediate FNAC categories lead more often to LTT. Overall, inadequate procedures necessitating completion surgery are encountered in up to 15% of TC patients subjected to LTT due to absent, inconclusive, or misleading FNAC, preoperatively. However, completion of thyroidectomy in this setting did not yield significant surgical morbidity. Primary LTT is a safer primary approach compared to TT in respect of RLN palsy and permanent hypoparathyroidism complication rates; therefore, primary TT should probably be reserved for lesions &gt; 1 cm or even larger with suspicion for malignancy or malignant FNAC.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lind, Patrik and Nordenström, Erik and Johansson, Lars and Wallin, Göran and Daskalakis, Kosmas}},
  issn         = {{1435-2443}},
  keywords     = {{Fine-needle aspiration cytology; Surgical morbidity; Thyroid cancer}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery}},
  title        = {{Impact of fine-needle aspiration cytology in thyroidectomy extent and associated surgical morbidity in thyroid cancer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00423-024-03258-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00423-024-03258-3}},
  volume       = {{409}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}