Outcomes of Early Versus Delayed Completion Thyroidectomy for Malignancy

Purpose To determine whether time interval between hemi-thyroidectomy and subsequent completion thyroidectomy impacts outcomes. Methods Retrospective review of 68 patients having completion thyroidectomy from August 2012 to December 2019. Patients were separated into two groups based on the time interval between surgeries: early (≤10 days) or delayed (≥90 days). Results Patients who underwent delayed completion thyroidectomy (n = 17) had significantly higher rates of hypocalcemia and/or hypoparathyroidism ( P = .03) and higher rates of requiring postoperative hospitalization ( P=.07) compared to those who underwent early completion thyroidectomy (n = 51). Delayed completion had significantly lower risk of developing one or more of dysphonia, dysphagia, or vocal cord paresis postoperatively ( P=.02). No patients developed hematoma or wound infection. Conclusions Delayed completion thyroidectomy is associated with increased rates of hypocalcemia, but lower rates of dysphonia and dysphagia. Given the low risk of long-term complications in both groups, it may be beneficial to perform completion thyroidectomy early in order to expedite cancer treatment.

DIAGNOSTIC BRONCHOSCOPY FOR EVALUATION OF CONGENITAL STRIDOR:A CASE SERIES

Introduction: Stridor is a noise mechanically produced through partially occluded airway. Airway obstruction may be extrathoracic or intrathoracic. Stridor may be congenital or acquired. Timing in respiratory cycle determines anatomic location of lesion – inspiratory, biphasic, or expiratory. Gold standard for diagnosis is bronchoscopy which requires general anaesthesia in infants and small children. Major anaesthetic concerns are – possible difficult airway, sharing of an already compromised airway, airway oedema. Case Description: 40 infants, 0 - 6 months age, with history of noisy breathing suggestive of congenital stridor, planned for diagnostic rigid bronchoscopy with or without therapeutic procedure, over one year period. Preoperative treatment – humidified oxygen, nebulization, dexamethasone, antibiotics, anti-reflux medication. Not premedicated, standard monitors applied. Induction of anaesthesia with inhalational oxygen and sevoflurane or intravenous propofol, fentanyl 1 mcg/kg, dexamethasone 0.5 mg/kg. Topical lidocaine 2% sprayed at vocal cords. 100% oxygen with propofol infusion for maintenance with spontaneous ventilation via nasopharyngeal airway. Patients requiring surgical intervention intubated using microcuffed endotracheal tube. Patients observed post-operatively. If ventilation was inadequate, intubated to control airway during recovery, extubated on restoration of spontaneous ventilation. After surgical intervention, babies shifted to ICU for elective ventilation for 48 hours. Discussion: On bronchoscopy, laryngomalacia was the finding in majority of cases. Others had subglottic stenosis, tracheomalacia, vocal-cord paresis, laryngeal cyst. Out of 40 patients, 9 underwent therapeutic procedure and were electively ventilated, 26 resumed spontaneous breathing, 2 patients had delayed recovery and 2 had severe chest retractions and desaturations and they were managed accordingly. One baby aged 6 months diagnosed with grade III subglottic stenosis desaturatedand tracheostomy had to be done. Conclusion:Anaesthesia for rigid diagnostic bronchoscopy is a significant challenge. Rigid bronchoscopy under general anaesthesia requires multidisciplinary approach and close cooperation between all team members.

Importance of proper diet after thyroidectomy in diabetic patients: A short communication

Thyroidectomy is a surgical technique used to treat cancer, noncancerous thyroid enlargement, goiter, and hyperthyroidism. It is a procedure to remove all or sections of the thyroid gland. Most importantly, some common complications are often observed, like weight gain, loss of libido, and vocal cord paresis or paralysis after thyroidectomy. After surgery, diabetic patients are more prone to comorbidities such as kidney disease, eyes health issues, hypertension, obesity, etc. This study highlighted the probable diet and essential home-based nutrition for post thyroidectomy complications. Weight gain is the common complaint of most patients who underwent surgery. Currently, there are insufficient data that do not provide clear conclusions about post-surgery diet plan. However, low carbohydrate, low fat but high veg-protein-rich diet are altogether helpful for weight loss, diabetes, and related complication. More research is needed in the medical nutrition therapies segment to get more dietary options for such patients.

Extralaryngeal branching of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Autopsy case series

Background. The thesis «thyroid surgery is the surgery of the recurrent laryngeal nerve», which was defined in the XX ­century, remains relevant to this day. Thus, despite the use of modern scientific and technological achievements, vocal cord paresis is diagnosed on average in 9.8% patients after thyroid and parathyroid surgery.According to many authors, the main problem which a surgeon encounters is a difficult and sometimes individual anatomy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. For example, in one study authors identified 28 variants of relationships between the ­recurrent laryngeal nerve and the inferior thyroid artery. In a recent meta-analysis, it was noted that the frequency of extralaryngeal branching remains underestimated and reaches 73% of cases. Anatomical variants of the recurrent laryngeal nerve or its thin branches, which have not been noticed in time, can lead to inevitable consequences — to nerve injury and a laryngeal dysfunctions, and if anatomical features are not detected on both sides — to a tragedy.Aim. The aim of this study is to determine anatomical variants of the extralaryngeal branches of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and their frequency in autopsy case series.Materials and methods. 46 (100%) recurrent laryngeal nerves were dissected in 23 cadavers. Their path was traced, their relationships with the inferior thyroid artery were determined, and the extralaryngeal branches of the recurrent laryngeal nerve were identified.Results. Few extralaryngeal branches of the recurrent laryngeal nerve were identified during dissection: tracheoesophageal branches, laryngeal branches, aberrant branches. Tracheoesophageal branches were determined in all cadavers. In 37 (80.4%) cases the recurrent laryngeal nerve had got two or more extralaryngeal laryngeal branches. In 6 (13.0%) cases aberrant branches were presented.The inferior thyroid artery was detected in 42 (91.3%) cases. The vessel was in close location with the recurrent laryngeal nerve, forming a neuro-arterial chiasm. In 39.1% of cases the recurrent laryngeal nerve was located between the branches of the inferior thyroid artery, in 39.1% of cases — deeper than the artery, and in 10.9% of cases — more superficial than the artery.Conclusion. The variable anatomical configuration of the recurrent laryngeal nerve inevitably causes difficulties during intraoperative nerve dissection. Tardy identification of these anatomical features can lead to the injury of nerves or its branches, which determines the amount of postoperative vocal cord paresis.

Severe stridor and profound weakness after cerebral malaria

Cerebral malaria (CM) is defined by WHO as coma (Blantyre Coma Score 2 or less) in a patient with Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia and no alternative cause of coma identified. Mortality is approximately 15%–30% in African children and up to one-third of survivors have neurological sequelae. We present a patient with severe stridor and prolonged profound weakness during an intensive care admission with CM. These complications initially presented a diagnostic dilemma in our limited resourced setting. The stridor failed to improve with empiric steroids and a subsequent opportunistic ENT consult diagnosed vocal cord paresis. The weakness was so profound that the patient was unable to lift his head during the acute illness. The child received intensive physiotherapy, and at 1-month follow-up, the stridor and weakness had resolved.

Hypothalamic-Bulbar MRI Hyperintensity in Anti-IgLON5 Disease with Serum-Restricted Antibodies: A Case Report and Systematic Review of Literature

Background: Anti-IgLON5 disease is a rare neurodegenerative tauopathy that displays heterogeneity in clinical spectrum, disease course, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, and variable response to immunotherapy. Sleep disorders, bulbar dysfunction, and gait abnormalities are common presenting symptoms, and conventional brain MRI scanning is often unrevealing. Objective: To provide a comprehensive overview of the literature and to assess the frequency of symptoms, MRI findings, and treatment response in patients with IgLON5 autoimmunity in the serum and CSF or restricted to serum. Methods: We examined a 65-year-old woman with bulbar-onset IgLON5 disease with serum-restricted antibodies, and we also performed a systematic review of all confirmed cases reported in the English literature. Results: We identified 93 patients, included our case. Clinical data were obtained in 58 subjects, in whom the most frequent symptoms were sleep-disordered breathing, dysphagia, parasomnias, dysarthria, limb or gait ataxia, stridor or vocal cord paresis, movement disorders, and postural instability. Distinct MRI alterations were identified in 12.5% of cases, as opposed to unspecific or unremarkable changes in the remaining patients. T2-hyperintense non-enhancing signal alterations involving the hypothalamus and the brainstem tegmentum were observed only in the present case. Inflammatory CSF was found in half of the cases and serum-restricted antibodies in 4 patients. Treatment with immunosuppressant or immunomodulatory drugs led to sustained clinical response in 19/52 patients. Conclusion: Anti-IgLON5 autoimmunity should be considered in patients with sleep disorders, bulbar syndrome, autonomic involvement, and movement disorders, and high-field brain MRI can be of diagnostic help.