Minimally Invasive Video-Assisted Thyroidectomy: Analysis of Complications From a Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) is considered a safe and effective option. However, its complication rate has not been specifically discussed yet. The aim of this systematic review was enrolling a large number of studies to estimate early and late complications (transient and definitive, uni- and bilateral laryngeal nerve palsy; transient and definitive hypocalcemia; cervical hematoma; hypertrophic or keloid scar) of MIVAT compared with conventional technique. METHODS: The review was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) criteria in PubMed and Embase. Search terms were "minimally invasive," "video-assisted," and "thyroidectomy." We enrolled randomized clinical trials, nonrandomized trials, and noncontrolled trials. RESULTS: Thirty-two articles were considered suitable. Complication rate of MIVAT was quite similar to conventional technique: only one randomized trial found a significant difference concerning overall skin complication, and a single trial highlighted hypocalcemia significantly increased in MIVAT, concerning serologic value only. No difference concerning symptomatic nor definitive hypocalcemia was found. CONCLUSIONS: We can confirm that MIVAT is a safe technique. It should be adopted in mean-high-volume surgery centers for thyroidectomy, if a strict compliance with indication was applied

Pleural epithelioid angiosarcoma with lymphatic differentiation arisen after radiometabolic therapy for thyroid carcinoma: immunohistochemical findings and review of the literature

Abstract Background Pleural angiosarcoma is a rare tumor that causes diffuse pleural thickening and effusion, mimicking mesothelioma. Immunohistochemistry is needed to highlight endothelial differentiation. We describe the first case of pleural angiosarcoma with lymphatic differentiation following radiometabolic therapy for thyroid carcinoma. Case presentation A 50-year-old man showed diffuse pleural thickening and effusion. Nine years earlier, he underwent thyroidectomy and radiometabolic therapy for thyroid carcinoma with lymph node metastases. Histologically, the tumor consisted of a solid proliferation of atypical epithelioid cells and anastomosed vascular spaces, lacking of red blood cells and containing Alcian blue positive material. The tumor showed positive immunostaining for Vimentin, CD31, CK7, D2–40, c-MYC, Ki67, focal positivity for PanCK, and negative immunostaining for Factor VIII, CD34, WT1, CK5/6, Calretinin, EMA, HBME-1, CEA, p63, EpCAM, Bcl-2, TTF1 and Thyroglobulin. CD99 showed a granular/paranuclear pattern of positivity. The histological and immunohistochemical features were consistent with “pleural angiosarcoma with lymphatic differentiation, epithelioid variant”. Discussion and conclusions Epithelioid angiosarcoma with lymphatic differentiation is very rare and aggressive. Moreover, the positivity for c-MYC suggests the relationship with radiometabolic therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pleural c-MYC-positive angiosarcoma with lymphatic differentiation reported in the literature and the first one arisen after radiometabolic therapy for thyroid carcinoma

The Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Treatment of Lung Metastases

Introduction: The ideal surgical approach for pulmonary metastasectomy remains controversial. Thoracoscopic surgery may offer advantages in quality of life outcomes, with equivalent oncologic long-term results. This study aimed to demonstrate the validity of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the treatment of lung metastases. Methods: In all 224 patients who underwent 300 VATS metastasectomies from January 2000 to December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty-nine patients underwent major resection (68 thoracoscopic lobectomies and one pneumonectomy) and 155 patients underwent a wedge resection/segmentectomy. Complete curative pulmonary resections were performed in 219 (97%) cases. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate survival curves. Univariate and subsequent multivariate Cox model regression were performed to identify independent factors of overall survival. Results: One hundred eighty-six patients developed lung metastases from epithelial tumors, 28 from sarcomas, seven from melanomas, and three from germ cell tumors. The final pathological examination revealed no cases of R1 disease. After a mean follow-up of 40 months, 118 patients (53%) had died. According to a multivariate analysis, a better prognosis was not observed for patients with a particular histological type; in addition, disease-free interval time, age, number of metastases, and type of surgery did not have any statistical influence on long-term survival. Conclusions: Thoracoscopic surgery is a safe and efficacious procedure, with a five-year overall survival that is equivalent to open surgery

Retrospective Analysis of 29 Patients with Multiple Pulmonary Metastases from Colorectal Carcinoma Resected by a 1318-nm Laser

NO Abstrac

Pulmonary Laser Metastasectomy by 1318-nm Neodymium-Doped Yttrium-Aluminum Garnet Laser: A Retrospective Study About Laser Metastasectomy of the Lung

Background. The lungs are among the first organ affected by remote metastases from many primary tumors. The surgical resection of isolated pulmonary metastases represents an important and effective element of therapy. This is a retrospective study about our entire experience with pulmonary resection for metastatic cancer using 1318-nm neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum garnet laser. Method. In this single-institution study, we retrospectively analyzed a group of 209 patients previously treated for primary malignant solid tumors. We excluded 103 patients. The number and location of lesions in the lungs was determined using chest computed tomography and positron emission tomography-computed tomography. Disseminated malignancy was excluded. All pulmonary laser resections are performed via an anteroaxillary muscle-sparing thoracotomy. All lesions were routinely removed by laser with a small (5-10 mm) margin of the healthy lung. Patients received systematic lymph node sampling with intraoperative smear cytology of sampled lymph nodes. Results. Mortality at 2 years from the first surgery is around 20% (10% annually). This value increases to 45% in the third year. The estimated median survival for patients who underwent the first surgery is reported to be approximately 42 months. Conclusion. Our results show that laser resection of lung metastases can achieve good result, in terms of radical resection and survival, as conventional surgical metastasectomy. The great advantage is the possibility of limiting the damage to the lung. Stapler resection of a high number of metastases would mutilate the lung

A brief anatomo-surgical dissection guide to the human neck: results of a collaboration between the University of Palermo and the University of Malta.

The aim of this work was to offer a guide to young students and medical doctors that want to learn the bases of neck dissection. In the summer of 2017 a group of students from the University of Palermo that had already passed the Human Anatomy exams took a 4 weeks dissection course at the University of Malta Medicine is a science that requires both a practical and theoretical approach, and the last one, unfortunately, often is not valued by our University. Studying Human Anatomy, which is the basis for a doctor's education, exclusively through books and atlases, is indeed partially lacking. For this reason a group of students from the University of Palermo have been selected, based on their academic scores and English proficiency, to take part in an anatomic dissection course at the University of Malta. The course took place in the university's dissection hall. The students spent their time dissecting, analyzing and separating the various anatomical structures under the supervision of tutors from both universities. This experience has given excellent results and we hope to make further collaborations with the University of Malta in the future