Robotic MRND was found to be similar to conventional open MRND in terms of early surgical outcomes and surgical completeness but leaves no scar on the neck area. Robotic MRND can be viewed as an acceptable alternative method in low-risk PTC with LNM.

The study aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of coexisting chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and to evaluate the influence on prognosis. A total of 1,357 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for PTC were included. The clinicopathological characteristics were identified. Patients who underwent total thyroidectomy (n = 597) were studied to evaluate the influence of coexistent CLT on prognosis. Among the total 1,357 patients, 359 (26.5%) had coexistent CLT. In the CLT group, the prevalence of females was higher than in the control group without CLT (P < 0.001). Mean tumor size and mean age in the patients with CLT were smaller than without CLT (P = 0.040, P = 0.047, respectively). Extrathyroidal extension in the patients with CLT was significantly lower than without CLT (P = 0.016). Among the subset of 597 patients, disease-free survival rate in the patients with CLT was significantly higher than without CLT (P = 0.042). However, the multivariate analysis did not reveal a negative association between CLT coexistence and recurrence. Patients with CLT display a greater female preponderance, smaller size, younger and lower extrathyroidal extension. CLT is not a significant independent negative predictive factor for recurrence, although presence of CLT indicates a reduced risk of recurrence.

The authors conclude that robotic thyroidectomy using a gasless TAA is a feasible, safe, and promising surgical alternative for selected patients with low-risk thyroid cancer, and recommend that the inclusion criteria of this technique be gradually extended to advanced thyroid cancer given suitable operator experience and future developments in robotic systems and instrumentation.

This study shows that posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe procedure and the operative time is comparable to transperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. The use of the PR approach for small adrenal tumor can provide very favorable surgical outcomes compared with the TP approach.

Thyroid carcinomas are uncommon in childhood and adolescence. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical features and clinical outcomes of thyroid cancer in the pediatric population treated in the Yonsei University Health System. From September 1982 to June 2009, 90 patients (75 females, 15 males; female:male ratio of 5:1) with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were identified in our institute. The mean age at diagnosis was 15.8 yr old (range 4.8-19.9 yr). Cervical masses were most common clinical manifestations at diagnosis in 65 patients (72.2%). Forty-two patients underwent less than total thyroidectomy and 18 patients underwent total thyroidectomy. Thirty patients (33.3%) had lateral neck lymph node metastasis and seven patients (7.8%) had lung metastasis at the time of surgery. Among the 90 patients, recurrence occurred in 14 patients (15.5%). Mean follow-up period for patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma was 81.6 months (13-324 months). No patients died of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who were < 20-yr-of-age were present with aggressive local disease and a high frequency of lymph node and distant metastasis. It is recommended that pediatric thyroid cancer should be managed mostly using proper surgical approach with thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection when indicated.