Jack M. Monchik

Radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous ethanol injection treatment for recurrent local and distant well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Objective:To assess the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and percutaneous ethanol (EtOH) injection treatment of local recurrence or focal distant metastases of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WTC). Background:RFA and EtOH injection techniques are new minimally invasive surgical alternatives for treatment of recurrent WTC. We report our experience and long-term follow-up results using RFA or EtOH ablation in treating local recurrence and distant focal metastases from WTC. Methods:Twenty patients underwent treatment of biopsy-proven recurrent WTC in the neck. Sixteen of these patients had lesions treated by ultrasound-guided RFA (mean size, 17.0 mm; range, 8–40 mm), while 6 had ultrasound-guided EtOH injection treatment (mean size, 11.4 mm; range, 6–15 mm). Four patients underwent RFA treatment of focal distant metastases from WTC. Three of these patients had CT-guided RFA of bone metastases (mean size, 40.0 mm; range, 30–60 mm), and 1 patient underwent RFA for a solitary lung metastasis (size, 27 mm). Patients were then followed with routine ultrasound, 131I whole body scan, and/or serum thyroglobulin levels for recurrence at the treatment site. Results:No recurrent disease was detected at the treatment site in 14 of the 16 patients treated with RFA and in all 6 patients treated with EtOH injection at a mean follow-up of 40.7 and 18.7 months, respectively. Two of the 3 patients treated for bone metastases are free of disease at the treatment site at 44 and 53 months of follow-up, respectively. The patient who underwent RFA for a solitary lung metastasis is free of disease at the treatment site at 10 months of follow-up. No complications were experienced in the group treated by EtOH injection, while 1 minor skin burn and 1 permanent vocal cord paralysis occurred in the RFA treatment group. Conclusions:RFA and EtOH ablation show promise as alternatives to surgical treatment of recurrent WTC in patients with difficult reoperations. Further long-term follow-up studies are necessary to determine the precise role these therapies should play in the treatment of recurrent WTC.

Dynamic MDCT for Localization of Occult Parathyroid Adenomas in 26 Patients With Primary Hyperparathyroidism

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to evaluate the accuracy of dynamic contrast-enhanced 4D MDCT in the preoperative identification of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and a history of failed surgery or unsuccessful localization on standard imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-four patients with PHPT underwent 4D CT. Retrospective blinded review of the 4D CT examinations was performed by three radiologists for the presence and location of a suspected parathyroid adenoma or adenomas. At the time of the study, 25 patients underwent surgical exploration after 4D CT. Twenty patients had solitary parathyroid adenomas, two patients had two adenomas resected, two patients did not have an adenoma, and one patient had mild four-gland hyperplasia. One patient did not have PHPT on repeat serum biochemistry. Surgical and pathology reports, adenoma enhancement, and biochemical and clinical follow-up were reviewed. Data were compared with 4D CT interpretations and interobserver reliability was calculated. RESULTS The mean sensitivity and specificity of the three readers for the precise CT localization of adenomas was 82% (range, 79-88%) and 92% (range, 75-100%), respectively. Overall interobserver reliability was excellent (κ = 0.70; range, κ = 0.60-0.79). All adenomas resected at surgery showed a biochemical response and clinical response. The mean densities of the confirmed adenomas were 41, 128, 138, and 109 HU at 0, 30, 60, and 90 seconds, respectively. Level II lymph nodes identified in 10 patients showed significantly less enhancement at 30 (p = 0.0001) and 60 (p = 0.006) seconds compared with surgically proven adenomas. CONCLUSION Occult parathyroid adenoma shows characteristic early enhancement. In this subset of patients, 4D CT may improve surgical outcomes and decrease morbidity.

Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Is There an Increased Prevalence of Renal Stone Disease?

OBJECTIVE Parathyroid adenomas cause hypercalcemia and are culprits in the development of renal stone disease. With serum assays available, early detection of parathyroid tumors is possible. We performed this retrospective review to determine whether the prevalence of nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis is still increased in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism compared with those not affected by the disorder in view of the early detection of parathyroid adenomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the renal sonograms of 271 patients with surgically proven primary hyperparathyroidism. All patients had undergone renal imaging within 6 months before parathyroid surgery. Our control group consisted of 500 age-matched subjects who had right upper quadrant sonograms obtained for various reasons. RESULTS Nineteen (7.0%) of the 271 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism had renal stones, and eight (1.6%) of the 500 subjects in the control group had stones. Pearsons chi-square analysis showed that this difference in prevalence is significant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Our results showed a fourfold increased prevalence of asymptomatic renal stone disease in patients with surgically proven primary hyperparathyroidism compared with subjects not affected by the disorder. The National Institutes of Health consensus conference on asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism recommended that patients with renal stone disease undergo parathyroid surgery. These patients should undergo surgery even if they have minimal or no elevation of the total serum calcium value and no other metabolic manifestations of hyperparathyroidism. The finding of nephrocalcinosis or nephrolithiasis is, therefore, a significant finding in evaluating patients for parathyroid surgery. Routine imaging of the kidneys is necessary when primary hyperparathyroidism is documented.

Limited Value of Adrenal Biopsy in the Evaluation of Adrenal Neoplasm: A Decade of Experience

OBJECTIVE To determine the value of percutaneous adrenal biopsy in the evaluation of adrenal neoplasm. DESIGN Retrospective review. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS All adult patients undergoing image-guided adrenal biopsy from 1997 to 2007. Main Outcome Measure Biopsy sensitivity for malignancy. RESULTS There were 163 biopsies performed on 154 patients. Mean (SD) age was 66 (12.5) years. Eighty-eight biopsies (53.4%) were performed in patients with a prior diagnosis of cancer. Forty-five (26.4%) were performed when imaging study results suggested previously undiagnosed cancer with a simultaneous adrenal metastasis. Thirty (20.2%) were performed for isolated adrenal incidentalomas. Rates of positive biopsy results in these 3 groups were 70.6%, 69.0%, and 16.7%, respectively. Prebiopsy evaluation for pheochromocytoma was performed in less than 5% of patients with established or suspected nonadrenal malignancies and 32% of patients with incidentalomas. In patients with isolated adrenal incidentaloma, a radiology report recommended biopsy 33% of the time for characteristics inconsistent with benign adenoma. Benign incidentalomas measured mean (SD) 4.2 (2.1) cm (range, 1.4-10.7 cm), and malignancies measured mean (SD) 9.3 (3.3) cm (range, 5.3-14 cm) (P < .05). All incidentalomas 5 cm or less (n = 18) were benign. There were 4 false-negative biopsy results: 3 adrenocortical carcinomas and 1 pheochromocytoma. CONCLUSIONS Biopsy is unhelpful in patients with isolated adrenal incidentaloma. Despite atypical radiographic findings, all nonfunctioning nodules 5 cm or less were benign. The negative predictive value is unacceptably low and cannot be relied on to rule out malignancy. The value of biopsy remains the diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma in patients with a nonadrenal primary malignancy, proven by the more than 70% positive rate in this group.

Does failure to perform prophylactic level VI node dissection leave persistent disease detectable by ultrasonography in patients with low-risk papillary carcinoma of the thyroid?

BACKGROUND There is controversy regarding the need for prophylactic level VI central node dissection in patients with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). This study focuses on the incidence of persistent level VI nodal disease in low-risk PTC without prophylactic central node dissection. METHODS PTC was known at the time of thyroidectomy in 304 of the 761 patients who had initial thyroid surgery from 2001 to 2007. Therapeutic level VI node dissection was performed for suspicious or positive nodes. A prophylactic central node dissection was not done if suspicious nodes were not identified. All patients had a high-resolution ultrasonography, and almost all patients had a suppressed serum thyroglobulin level 4-6 months after thyroidectomy. RESULTS A total of 112 of 304 patients (37%) had a therapeutic level VI node dissection. A prophylactic central node dissection was not performed in the remaining 192 patients. One hundred and sixty-one of the 192 patients (84%) were low risk. Biopsy-proven persistent disease was identified at the 4-6-month postoperative ultrasonography in only 3 of the 161 low-risk patients (1.8%). The suppressed serum thyroglobulin level was increased in these 3 patients and 2 additional patients. CONCLUSION Failure to perform a prophylactic central node dissection in low-risk PTC resulted in both a very low incidence of persistent level VI nodal disease and elevated suppressed thyroglobulin 4-6 months after thyroidectomy.

Image-guided ablation of postsurgical locoregional recurrence of biopsy-proven well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

PURPOSE To evaluate the clinical outcomes of ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) as salvage therapy for locoregional recurrence after resection of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS There were 42 locoregional, biopsy-proven, papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma lesions (0.5-3.7 cm) treated, 21 with RF ablation and 21 with PEI. Of treated lesions, 35 were located in the lateral compartments, and 7 were located in the central compartment. Data points in the retrospective analysis, determined beforehand by the investigators, were progression at the ablation site, serum thyroglobulin levels before and after the procedure, and procedural complications. RESULTS Average follow-up after RF ablation was 61.3 months and after PEI was 38.5 months. No progression was detected in the region of ablation for any of the lesions treated with RF ablation. Local progression was detected 4-11 months after ablation in 5 of the 21 lesions treated with PEI, 3 in the lateral compartment and 2 in the central compartment; all of the lesions were successfully retreated with repeat PEI, RF ablation, or surgery. Permanent vocal cord paralysis occurred after one RF ablation procedure of a lateral compartment supraclavicular node. There were no complications after PEI. CONCLUSIONS This case series provides long-term follow-up evidence of the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided RF ablation and PEI for control of locoregional recurrence of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma after surgery.

The utility of 4-dimensional computed tomography for preoperative localization of primary hyperparathyroidism in patients not localized by sestamibi or ultrasonography

BACKGROUND To determine the sensitivity and clinical application of 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) for the localization of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism when ultrasonography (US) and sestamibi scans (STS) are negative. METHODS We compiled a database of 872 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent parathyroid operation by a single surgeon from January 2003 to September 2013. Seventy-three patients who failed to have positive localization by US or STS were identified. Thirty-six underwent operation without a preoperative 4D CT, and 37 underwent operation after 4D CT. RESULTS In patients not localized by US or STS, 4D CT was 89% sensitive in localizing an abnormal parathyroid gland when reviewed blindly by a radiologist specializing in endocrine localization studies, yielding a positive likelihood ratio of 0.89 and positive predictive value of 74%. Sensitivity, positive likelihood ratio, and positive predictive value for correct gland lateralization were 93%, 0.93, and 80%. The average size of parathyroid glands removed after preoperative localization by 4D CT was 404 mg and 0.57 cm3 (SD = 280, 0.64), compared with 259 mg and 0.39 cm3 (SD = 166, 0.21) in patients not localized by 4D CT. A focused, unilateral exploration was performed in 38% of patients with preoperative localization by 4D CT compared with 19% of patients without 4D CT (χ2 = 3.0, P = .041). CONCLUSION 4D CT provided a positive localization in a clinically substantial number of patients not able to be localized by US or STS, which enabled an increased rate of successful, focused, unilateral operations compared with patients who did not undergo a 4D CT.

No Need to Abandon Focused Unilateral Exploration for Primary Hyperparathyroidism with Intraoperative Monitoring of Intact Parathyroid Hormone

BACKGROUND We investigated the rate of persistent and recurrent hyperparathyroidism after focused unilateral exploration (UE) with intraoperative monitoring of intact parathyroid hormone (IOPTH). STUDY DESIGN A prospective cohort of 915 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) underwent parathyroid surgery by a single surgeon from January 2003 to September 2013. A total of 556 patients with at least a single positive preoperative localization by ultrasound (US) and/or sestamibi scan (STS) underwent UE with IOPTH. The criterion for completion of surgery was an IOPTH fall of 50% from the highest intraoperative level and into the normal range 5 to 10 minutes after resection of the localized gland. RESULTS Fifteen patients had either persistent or recurrent PHP, yielding a 2.7% (95% CI 1.6% to 4.4%) overall recurrence rate based on the refined Wilson method with continuity correction. Four patients had persistent PHP. Three of these patients were cured with reoperation, and the fourth patient was followed nonoperatively. Eleven patients had recurrent PHP, with 5 corrected by surgery and 6 patients followed nonoperatively. The mean postoperative serum calcium (Ca) level was 9.4 mg/dL over a mean follow-up interval of 44.0 months. Preoperative localization rates by each localization study were: US 74.3% (n = 413), STS 86.9% (n = 483), and US and STS 71.4% (n = 397). There was no difference in the preoperative study that localized the hyperfunctional parathyroid gland in recurrent vs nonrecurrent patients by the Fishers exact test (US, p =1.00; STS, p =0.65; US and STS, p =1.00). CONCLUSIONS The low rate of recurrent PHP after focused unilateral exploration with IOPTH suggests that this procedure should not be abandoned.

Nonoperative Ablative Procedures for Recurrent Cancer

In 2009, there was an estimated 37,200 new cases of thyroid cancer detected in the United States. This astounding 206% increase in incidence over the course of a decade makes thyroid cancer the most common endocrine malignancy. The rise has partially been attributed to the increased use of ultrasonography for cancer detection and more rigorous surveillance with this imaging modality for disease recurrence. The majority of these small cancers found with imaging are of the papillary subtype, which accounts for 75–85% of all thyroid malignancies, and have a reported 10-year survival rate of 90–98%. Papillary and follicular carcinomas are both well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC). These tumors have an excellent prognosis with surgery as the primary mode of therapy.