Comparative Study between Robotic Total Thyroidectomy with Central Lymph Node Dissection via Bilateral Axillo-breast Approach and Conventional Open Procedure for Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma

Background： A large proportion of the patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma are young women. Therefore, minimally invasive endoscopic thyroidectomy with central neck dissection （CND） emerged and showed well-accepted results with improved cosmetic outcome, accelerated healing, and comforting the patients. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of robotic total thyroidectomy with CND via bilateral axillo-breast approach （BABA）, compared with conventional open procedure in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Methods： One-hundred patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma from March 2014 to January 2015 in Jinan Military General Hospital of People＇s Liberation Army （PLA） were randomly assigned to robotic group or conventional open approach group （17 = 50 in each group）. The total operative time, estimated intraoperative blood loss, numbers of lymph node removed, visual analog scale （VAS）, postoperative hospital stay time, complications, and numerical scoring system （NSS, used to assess cosmetic effect） were analyzed. Results： The robotic total thyroidectomy with CND via BABA was successfully performed in robotic group. There were no conversion from the robotic surgeries to open or endoscopic surgery. The subclinical central lymph node metastasis rate was 35%. The mean operative time of the robotic group was longer than that of the conventional open approach group （118.8± 16.5 min vs. 90.7± 10.3 min, P 〈 0.05）. The study showed significant differences between the two groups in terms of the VASs （2.1 ± 1.0 vs. 3.8 ±~ 1.2, P 〈 0.05） and NSS （8.9 ± 0.8 vs. 4.8 ± 1.7, P 〈 0.05）. The differences between the two groups in the estimated intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay time, numbers of lymph node removed, postoperative thyroglobulin levels, and complications were not statistically significant （all P 〉 0.05）. Neither iatrogenic implantation nor metastasis occurred in punctured porous channel or chest wall in both groups. Postoperative cosmetic results were very satisfactory in the robotic group. Conclusions： Robotic total thyroidectomy with CND via BABA is safe and effective for Chinese patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma who worry about the neck scars.

The Number of Lymph Nodes and Relationship with Presence of Thyroiditis and Thymic Tissue in the Central Neck Dissection Materials for Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma: Pathologic Analysis

Background: Central lymph node dissection (CLND) for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) allows correct pathologic staging of lymph nodes and planning of postoperative management. The purpose of this study was to determine the number of the lymph nodes in the CLND and the relationship to presence of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) and thymic tissue (TT). Methods: Total thyroidectomy and CLND materials from 153 patients with PTC were included in this study. Two histopathologic features (presence of CLT and TT) were evaluated for their value in adequacy of CLND. Results: Histopathologic examination revealed CLT and TT in CLND materials in 70 (46%) and 63 (41%) patients, respectively. Total number of lymph nodes in CLND materials was significantly higher in CLT (+) and TT (+) groups (p Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that presence of CLT in thyroid gland has been associated with higher number of central lymph nodes mainly due to increased number of benign hyperplastic lymph nodes. It may be possible to conclude that upper limit of lymph nodes for satisfactory CLND would be higher to correctly evaluate central lymph node status in existing staging systems if specimens have CLT. Results of this study also show that the presence of TT in surgical materials may represent the adequacy of CLND.

Nonintubated thoracoscopic lobectomy plus lymph node dissection following segmentectomy for central type pulmonary masses

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. In the United States, it causes more cancer-related deaths than the next four causes （breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer） of cancer-related mortality combined （1）. About 30% of people have already progressed to stage III lung cancer and 40% to stage IV at the time they are diagnosed （2）. Although chest X-ray and sputum cytology, when applied in health check-ups, can identify some relatively small tumors, they are not able to lower the overall mortality （3）. More recently,