Skin metastasis on the neck: an unusual presentation of recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Skin metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is rare. Here, two cases of skin metastases of PTC are presented. Both of the patients were females, one is 83 and the other is 65 years old. The patients were admitted to the hospital with a movable skin lesion on anterior neck region. Free T3 and T4 levels were in normal levels and TSH levels were low in both patients. The 83-year-old patient underwent total thyroidectomy due to papillary thyroid cancer and received I-131 ablation therapy and then thyroid suppression therapy. After the surgery, the patient lived without evidence of disease for 3 years and then skin metastasis occurred. The 65-year-old patient had a total thyroidectomy 5 years ago due to PTC then neck dissection due to metastasis 3 years later and then received I-131 ablation therapy. Thyroid ultrasonography of both patients showed hypoechoic nodules with central vascularization. In the histological examination of both patients, cystic lesions filled with papillary structures were seen. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) taken from both patients were papillary carcinoma with solid trabecular pattern. PTC tends to metastasize to regional lymph nodes but distant metastasis is rare. When distant metastasis develops, prognosis of the disease is poor. Therefore, skin metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer is a poor prognostic factor. If the patient does not have a thyroid malignancy history, diagnosis of PTC metastatic to the skin may be difficult since primary skin tumors such as apocrine tumors have similar histopathological features. However, in the presented cases since there was a PTC history, the diagnosis was easier with the help of histopathological examination. Skin metastasis of PTC should be kept in mind when differential diagnosis of atypical skin lesions are made especially in the patients with thyroid malignancy history

Silk suture reaction in thyroid surgery

Silk suture reaction (i.e.,a benign granulomatous inflammatory foreign body reaction) is a rare complication of thyroid surgery. Here, two cases of post-thyroidectomy suture reaction are presented. Both of the patients were female, one is 48 and the other is 34 years old. The patients were presented with neck swelling and leakage of serous fluid from the Kocher's incision. Both patients had normal free T-4, free T-3, and TSH values. The 48-year-old female patient had a right subtotal and left near-total thyroidectomy 6 years ago and the other had bilateral total thyroidectomy 6 years ago. In the physical examination a mobile, painless, red, swelling was palpated in front of neck. In the ultrasound of both patients, a heterogeneous nodule with hypoechoic rim was seen, however, in scintigraphy no radiopharmaceutical involvement was observed in thyroid region. Due to suspicion of thyroid malignancy, a fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed and foreign body reaction was revealed cytologically. A suture reaction can vary from an erythematous swelling to chronic granulomatous reaction. The time interval between the operation and formation of suture reaction was 6 years in both of the cases thus these patients were considered as chronic patients. Foreign body reaction diagnosis was confirmed with fine needle aspiration biopsy. It is important to diagnose these chronic inflammation cases since these cases can mimic recurrence in thyroid malignancies. A post-thyroidectomy suture reaction is diagnosed cytologically with fine needle aspiration biopsy and by surgical removal of suture, this chronic inflammatory reaction can be cured

Bupivacaine application reduces post thyroidectomy pain: Cerrahpasa experience

Background: We aimed to evaluate the impact of bupivacaine administration into the surgical field after total thyroidectomy on post-operative pain and analgesic requirement with a double-blind, prospective, clinical and randomized study