Su Kyoung Kwon

Experience and analysis of Delphian lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma

BackgroundRecently, lymph node metastasis (LNM) has been regarded as an important factor influencing loco-regional recurrence and survival rate in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients. The aims of this study were to investigate the detection rate and metastasis rate of the Delphian lymph node (DLN) and clinical patterns related to regional LNM, and to examine how DLN metastasis affects PTC treatment.MethodsWe reviewed the medical records of 413 patients with pathologically confirmed PTC from among 452 patients who underwent thyroid surgery between January 2010 and October 2010 in the Department of Endocrine Surgery at Kosin University Gospel Hospital in Busan, South Korea.ResultsMultivariate analyses revealed a significantly higher proportion of cases with lymphovascular invasion (56.6% vs. 12.5%, P <0.001), central neck node metastasis (88.6% vs. 34.5%, P <0.001) and lateral neck node metastasis (47.2% vs. 10.2%, P <0.005) among cases with DLN metastasis compared to those without. The negative predictive value (NPV) of DLN metastasis with regard to the presence of contralateral central LNM for cases with a tumor size 1 cm or smaller than 1 cm was found to be 93.3% (127/136).ConclusionWhen DLN metastasis is not detected in papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMC), thyroid lobectomy on the affected side and ipsilateral central neck lymph node dissection should be sufficient. In addition, even in cases where lateral neck LNM is not detected on preoperative examination, if DLN metastasis is detected postoperatively, more careful attention should be paid to the lateral neck nodes during follow-up.

Optimal glycemic target level for colon cancer patients with diabetes

AIMS The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in mortality among colon cancer patients with or without diabetes and to determine optimal glycemic target level for colon cancer patients with diabetes. METHODS A total of 741 patients with colon cancer between April 1999 and December 2010 were reviewed. The non-diabetes group had a fasting plasma glucose <126mg/dL, and the diabetes group had a fasting plasma glucose ⩾126mg/dL. Patients with diabetes were further divided based on glycemic control into either the uncontrolled subgroup (HbA1c ⩾8%) or the well-controlled subgroup (HbA1c <8%). RESULTS Patients with diabetes had significantly shorter overall survival and median survival than non-diabetes patients. Uncontrolled diabetes patients had significantly shorter overall survival and median survival than well-controlled diabetes patients. The relative risk of mortality for diabetes patients was higher than non-diabetes patients (relative risk 1.17). The relative risk of mortality in uncontrolled diabetes patients was significantly higher than in well-controlled diabetes patients (relative risk 4.58). The area under the curve for mortality and HbA1c level was 0.73. The cut off HbA1c level was 7.75%. CONCLUSIONS A optimal glycemic control level for colon cancer patients with diabetes should be recommended as an HbA1c of 7.8% or below.

A Case of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma with de novo V804M RET Germline Mutation

Many cases of RET proto-oncogene mutations of hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) have been reported in Korea. However, MTC with V804M RET proto-oncogene germline mutations have not been reported in Korea. A 33-yr-old man was diagnosed with a 0.7-cm sized thyroid nodule. Laboratory testing revealed serum calcitonin was elevated. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy with central compartment neck dissection for the thyroid tumor. RET gene analysis was performed in both the index patient and his family. There were no V804M RET mutation and abnormal laboratory findings within his family except the index patient. Therefore, this patient was a de novo V804M RET germline mutation.

Subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis after lobectomy in a patient with papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case report

IntroductionSubacute lymphocytic thyroiditis is anautoimmune thyroid disease presenting with transient thyrotoxicosis as well as transient hypothyroidism. Several factors have been thought to be the initiating event in subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis. However, subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis that develops after thyroid lobectomy has not yet been reported in the literature. We report a case of subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis after lobectomy in a patient with papillary thyroid carcinoma.Case presentationA 30-year-old Korean woman was referred to our center for thyroid tumor operation. She was diagnosed with suspicious papillary thyroid carcinoma by fine needle aspiration at a local medical clinic. The thyroid ultrasonography demonstrated a diffusely enlarged thyroid gland with a 0.4×0.3cm sized hypoechoic nodule in the left lobe. Left thyroid lobectomy by endoscopic thyroidectomy was performed via a transaxillary approach, and the nodule was confirmed to be a papillary thyroid carcinoma. On postoperative day 1, a thyroid function test revealed hyperthyroidism, and on postoperative day 8, a thyroid function test again revealed hyperthyroidism with decreased radioactive iodine uptake. Thyroid function tests showed euthyroid on postoperative day 48 and hypothyroidism on postoperative day 86. She was treated with levothyroxine.ConclusionSubacute lymphocytic thyroiditis can develop after thyroid lobectomy. Thyroid autoantigen released during thyroid lobectomy may cause the onset or exacerbation of the destructive process.