US-guided FNA of thyroid lesions can be safely performed on patients taking AT/AC including newer agents, without an increase in adverse outcomes or decreased diagnostic rate. Further larger prospective multi-institutional studies are warranted to further investigate this important finding.

In a subset of PTC patients, MTDH was overexpressed and associated with extrathyroidal extension. Further studies are warranted to explore the utility of MTDH to improve risk stratification of current molecular panels for PTC.

Background: Poor cosmesis, secondary to keloid or hypertrophic scar, following thyroid surgery may cause considerable patient distress and be a significant challenge to treat. In this case series we examined the efficacy of prophylactic external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for prevention of keloid formation in keloid-prone patients undergoing thyroid surgery. While much has been published about documenting the efficacy in reducing keloid formation following keloid excision, very little literature exists documenting prophylactic use related to surgeries with the goal of prevent de novo keloid formation.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated a series of ten patients, who underwent a prophylactic EBRT for keloid prevention after thyroid surgery between January 2013 and February 2019. Patient demographics, primary diagnosis, surgical procedure, EBRT dosage, and post-operative visit records were reviewed.Results: All ten patients who received EBRT for keloid prophylaxis following a thyroid surgery were female. Half of the patients were African Americans, 40% Caucasians, and 10% Hispanic. The mean age was 46.40±15.63 years with BMI of 31.5±5.5 kg/m 2 . Radiation was initiated within 6 hours of the surgery with an average radiation dose per session of 5.7±1.7 Gy. The total average EBRT dose delivered was 17.4±4.2 Gy.Mean follow-up period was 13 months post-thyroidectomy, with the longest follow-up at 23 months. One patient, who underwent a lateral neck dissection in addition to thyroid surgery, developed hypertrophic scar in less than 10% of her incision length. Nine other patients (90%) showed no post-surgical keloid nor hypertrophic scar formation and patients were satisfied with postsurgical cosmesis. Conclusions:We examined the efficacy of prophylactic EBRT in keloid-prone patients undergoing thyroid surgery. Prophylactic EBRT following thyroid surgery is effective in achieving a satisfactory cosmetic outcome in patients at high risk for keloid formation.

Performing FNA of thyroid nodules in adult patients under sedation is not associated with a higher diagnostic yield or lower bleeding rate when compared to local anesthesia. Sedation should be judiciously used on only very anxious patients due to the increased overall cost.

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) rarely metastasizes to the retropharyngeal lymph nodes.Managing patients with locally advanced primary PTC and metastasis located in distant anatomical areas is challenging. Herein, we report a 56-year-old patient with locally advanced asymptomatic PTC, who presented with obstructive airway symptoms due to the metastatic retropharyngeal lymph node. The patient underwent simultaneous total thyroidectomy, central lymph node dissection, en bloc resection of strap muscle and left laryngeal nerve via cervical approach and transoral resection of the metastatic retropharyngeal lymph node. Metastatic PTC should be included in the differential diagnosis of a retropharyngeal masses.Simultaneous total thyroidectomy of the primary thyroid cancer via a cervical approach and transoral resection of an isolated retropharyngeal metastasis is safe and feasible. with calcification and minimal vascularity, the mass appeared to invade the strap muscle (Figures 5,6). No discrete nodules were noted in the right thyroid lobe. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the left thyroid nodule was Gland Surg 2017;6(6):733-737 gs.amegroups.com positive for PTC.We decided to perform simultaneous transoral excision of the retropharyngeal mass, and total thyroidectomy via the transcervical approach. First, the parapharyngeal mass was excised through a transoral 1.5 cm vertical incision over the mass and the cystic-appearing firm lymph node was dissected circumferentially safely. Then cervical incision was performed. We identified that the strap muscle was invaded by the left thyroid mass. The left recurrent laryngeal nerve was completely encased by the mass. We performed total thyroidectomy with en bloc resection of the strap muscles and en bloc resection of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve with central lymph node dissection (level IV).Histopathology of the left thyroid lobe revealed a 2.5 cm × 2.0 cm papillary carcinoma, classic type, stage pT4aN1aM0, BRAF V600E mutant, and the left retropharyngeal lymph node was also positive for metastatic PTC. There was extrathyroidal extension present but the surgical margins were uninvolved by carcinoma. Nine of the twelve lymph nodes of the left central compartment were positive for metastatic PTC. Postoperative period was uneventful except for hoarseness. Her voice was strong subjectively and objectively. The patient received radioactive iodine postoperatively and continued to show no evidence of recurrence after 2 years of follow-up. DiscussionPapillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common and fortunately the least aggressive type of thyroid cancers. It usually grows slowly and has a favorable prognosis (14). However, PTC can be locally aggressive, and directly invading the nearby tissues. PTC most commonly metastasizes into the central compartment (level VI) lymph nodes, then the lateral (levels II, III, IV, and V) compartment nodes (2). Metastasis of PTC to the retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLN) is very rare and few cases are reported in the lit...