Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Thyroid cancer is the most common of the endocrine tumors, with papillary being the most frequent. There is no consensus about prophylactic central cervical dissection in patients with papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. The aim of this study is to analyze surgical complications and the rate of recurrence of papillary carcinoma in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy and prophylactic central cervical dissection, and patients submitted to total thyroidectomy alone.

Material and methods: Prospective study of consecutive patients submitted to total thyroidectomy and prophylactic central cervical dissection between January 1993 and December 1999, and consecutive patients submitted to total thyroidectomy alone, in the same period of 7 years, for papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. The groups were compared in relation to surgical complications and the rate of disease recurrence. Totalizations of thyroidectomy were excluded. Statistical analysis with SPSS 20

Results: Fifty-nine patients underwent total thyroidectomy and prophylactic central cervical dissection (mean age 46.3 years, 86.4% female), 43 patients underwent total thyroidectomy alone (mean age 46.2 years, 95.3% female). Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury occurred in 10 patients after CCD and in two patients after TT. Hypoparathyroidism occurred in 24 patients (20.8% definitive) after CCD and in seven patients (14.3% definitive) after TT. Disease-free survival rates were of 84.3% of patients 10 years after CCD, and 88.6% after TT alone.

Conclusions: In our series, it was not possible to establish a statistically significant difference between groups regarding recurrence of the disease, but a statistically significant difference regarding surgical complications. According to our results, we consider prophylactic central cervical dissection in papillary carcinomas thyroid not justified.