[Is subtotal bilateral thyroidectomy still indicated in patients with Grave's disease?]

[Epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutive aspects of Basedow-Graves disease in the Depatment of Internal Medicine at CHU Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar (Senegal)]

La maladie de Basedow est une affection auto immune associant une thyrotoxicose à des manifestations de fréquence variable comme le goitre, l'ophtalmopathie et le myxœdème prétibial. Son diagnostic est souvent facile, tandis que sa prise en charge demeure encore difficile. L'instauration d'un traitement médical simple expose à un risque de récidive. Au Sénégal et en Afrique Sub-saharienne peu d'études ont porté sur la maladie de Basedow. L'objectif de l'étude était de décrire les aspects épidémiologique, clinique, thérapeutique et évolutif de la maladie de Basedow en milieu hospitalier à Dakar. Il s'agissait d'une étude rétrospective menée du 1er janvier 2010 au 31 décembre 2013 dans le service de Médecine Interne du centre hospitalier universitaire Aristide Le Dantec. Durant la période, 108 patients suivis en consultation externe pour maladie de Basedow, ont été inclus sur un total de 834 patients suivis en consultation externe. le diagnostic a été retenu devant les signes cliniques, biologiques et immunologiques. Cent huit patients, atteints de maladie de Basedow ont été inclus sur un total de 834 consultations. Le sex ratio était de 7,3 et la moyenne d'âge de 34,6 ans. Les principaux motifs de consultation étaient : les palpitations et l'amaigrissement dans respectivement 46,3% et 39,8% des cas. Le syndrome de thyrotoxicose était présent chez 93,5% des patients, un goitre était noté chez 87% des patients et une exophtalmie chez 78,7% des patients. La principale complication était à type de cardiothyréose retrouvée chez 11,1% des patients. Tous les patients ont eu un traitement par antithyroïdiens de synthèse. L'évolution a été favorable dans 19,4% des cas. Une récidive à été notée dans 57% des cas et dans 23,1% des cas les patients ont été perdus de vue. La maladie de Basedow est la cause de la plus fréquente d'hyperthyroïdie. Le tableau est dominé par les manifestations cliniques liées à l'hyper métabolisme de l'organisme. Dans cette étude, il apparait que la thyroïdectomie n'est pas de première intention si l'on connait le nombre élevé de récidive après le traitement médical.

Surgical management of hyperthyroidism

AIMS

Hyperthyroidism includes several clinical and histopathological situations. Surgery is commonly indicated after failure of medical treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the indications and complications of surgery as well as endocrine results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients operated on for hyperthyroidism between 2004 and 2012 were included in a retrospective study. Total thyroidectomy was performed for Graves' disease, toxic multinodular goiter and amiodarone-associated thyrotoxicosis; patients with toxic nodule underwent hemithyroidectomy. Pathologic analysis assessed surgical specimens; postoperative complications and resolution of hyperthyroidism were noted.

RESULTS

Two hundred patients from 15 to 83 years old were included. One hundred and eighty-eight underwent primary surgery and 12 were re-operated for recurrent goiter (6 with subtotal thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter 25 years previously; 6 with hemithyroidectomy for solitary nodule 15 years previously). Eighty-two patients suffered from toxic multinodular goiter, 78 from Graves' disease, 35 from solitary toxic nodules and 5 from amiodarone-associated thyrotoxicosis. Fourteen papillary carcinomas (including 11 papillary microcarcinomas) and 34 healthy parathyroid glands (17%) were identified in the pathological specimens. Postoperative complications comprised 4% permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (1 year follow-up), 9% hematoma requiring surgical revision, and 3% definitive hypocalcemia. Normalization of thyroid hormone levels was observed in 198 patients. Two recurrences occurred due to incomplete resection (1 case of Graves' disease and 1 intrathoracic toxic goiter that occurred respectively 18 and 5 months after resection). Postoperative complications were more frequent in multinodular goiter (23%) than in Graves' disease (13%) (ns: P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Surgical management of hyperthyroidism enables good endocrinal control if surgery is complete. Patients need to be fully informed of all possible postoperative complications that could occur, especially vocal ones. Long-term follow-up is necessary to detect recurrence, which can occur more than 20 years after partial thyroidectomy surgery. Surgery allows early diagnosis of 12.5% of papillary carcinomas.

Endoscopic subtotal thyroidectomy: the procedure of choice for Graves' disease?

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of endoscopic subtotal thyroidectomy for Graves' disease.

METHODS

From August 1998 to April 2008, a total of 100 patients with benign thyroid diseases underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy via the breast approach. Among these patients, 42 underwent subtotal thyroidectomy for Graves' disease.

RESULTS

The resection was successfully completed endoscopically in 41 patients (98%). Overall, the mean operating time, mean blood loss, and mean resected thyroid weight were 277 minutes, 76 ml, and 49.9 g, respectively. As the resected thyroid weight increased, the operating time was significantly prolonged and the blood loss significantly increased. Morbidities included one permanent and one temporary case of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy with hypocalcemia. A hypertrophic scar was seen in the right breast medial margin in three men. Thyroid function was classified as euthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and recurrent hyperthyroidism in 5, 34, and 3 patients, respectively. At 92 months of median follow-up, two patients had modest operation-associated symptoms: one with swallowing discomfort and another with paresthesia in the anterior chest wall at the time of discharge. However, both patients' symptoms disappeared within 36 months after surgery. Young women were highly satisfied, with an overall mean satisfaction rating of 9.3 points.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the endoscopic approach may be relatively contraindicated for large thyroid glands, endoscopic subtotal thyroidectomy via the breast approach is a safe, feasible procedure with excellent cosmetic benefits, and it may be the procedure of choice in carefully selected patients with Graves' disease.

[Does thyroidectomy worsen Graves'ophtalmopathy?]

AIM OF THE STUDY

To determine if thyroïd surgery increase or not the eye symptoms in patients with Graves'ophtalmopathy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included between 1981 and 2001 two groups of patients: - group 1 : 24 patients who underwent thyroid surgery, - group 2 : 13 patients who were treated only by antithyroid drugs. Eye signs were evaluated according to the "NOSPECS" classification. The effect of the thyroid surgery and the medical treatment were evaluated with the NOSPECS classification modified by Orgiazzi in order to allow quantitative comparative data. The reasons why the patients were refered to surgery were:- the important size of the goitre (n = 10), - a recurrent hyperthyroidy despite an appropriated medical treatment (n = 10), - a pregnancy desire (n = 2), - a worsening of the eye signs (n = 2). Eighteen subtotal thyroidectomies and 6 total thyroidectomies were performed.

RESULTS

after thyroid surgery, ophtalmic status was noted to improve in 18 patients, to remain inchanged in 1 patient and to deteriorate in 5 patients. In the non-operated group, the results were quite similar, but the mean goitre size was statistically lower and the ophtalmic lesions were statistically appearing later, these two parameters traducting a less serious disease in this group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that thyroidectomy doesn't worsen the eye symptoms in patients with Graves'ophtalmopathy.