Thyroid surgery and anaesthesia following head and neck irradiation for childhood malignancy

Anesthesia for the child with cancer

Children with cancer undergo a host of surgeries and procedures that require anesthesia during the various phases of the disease. A safe anesthetic plan includes consideration of the direct effects of tumor, toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, the specifics of the surgical procedure, drug-drug interactions with chemotherapy agents, pain syndromes, and psychological status of the child. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the anesthetic management of the child with cancer, focuses on a systems-based approach to the impact from both tumor and its treatment in children, and presents a discussion of the relevant anesthetic considerations.

Anesthetic considerations for the pediatric oncology patient--part 2: systems-based approach to anesthesia

One of the prices paid for chemo- and radiotherapy of cancer in children is damage to the vulnerable and developing healthy tissues of the body. Such damage can exist clinically or subclinically and can become apparent during active antineoplastic treatment or during remission decades later. Furthermore, effects of the tumor itself can significantly impact the physiologic state of the child. The anesthesiologist who cares for children with cancer or for survivors of childhood cancer should understand what effects cancer and its therapy can have on various organ systems. In part two of this three-part review, we review the anesthetic issues associated with childhood cancer. Specifically, this review presents a systems-based approach to the impact from both tumor and its treatment in children, followed by a discussion of the relevant anesthetic considerations.

Pathologic paediatric conditions associated with a compromised airway

PURPOSE

The purpose was to describe pathologic paediatric conditions associated with airway compromise adversely affecting dental treatment with sedation and general anaesthesia.

METHODS

A review of available literature was completed, identifying pathologic paediatric conditions predisposing to airway compromise.

RESULTS

Airway-related deaths are uncommon, but respiratory complication represents the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality during the administration of general anaesthesia. Differences in anatomy and physiology of the paediatric and adult airway contribute to the child's predisposition to rapid development of airway compromise and respiratory failure; juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cervical spine injury, morbid obesity, and prematurity represent only a few conditions contributing to potential airway compromise of which the paediatric clinician needs to be aware. In all cases, thorough physical examination prior to treatment is mandated to affect a positive treatment outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Successful management of children and adolescents with a compromised airway begins with identification of the problem through a detailed medical history and physical examination. Due to the likely fragile nature of many of these patients, and possibility of concomitant medical conditions affecting airway management, dental treatment needs necessitating pharmacological management are best treated in a controlled setting such as the operating room, where a patent airway can be maintained.

Incidental metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma in microvascular reconstruction

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

Occult papillary thyroid carcinoma has a reported prevalence of 1% to 35% based on autopsy studies. Cervical lymphatic metastases from papillary thyroid carcinoma have been associated with a higher likelihood of recurrence with a questionable impact on survival. Without clinically evident disease in the thyroid or cervical nodes, management of these patients presents a treatment dilemma. We propose an individualized treatment plan for patients in whom metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma is incidentally detected during neck exploration for other purposes.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review and discussion of the literature.

METHODS

The clinical course of two patients with incidentally discovered metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma to the cervical lymph nodes is described. Both patients had previously received head and neck irradiation in childhood and required free flap reconstruction of extensive skull base defects following extirpation of meningiomas.

RESULTS

Neck dissection specimens from levels I and II obtained during exposure of recipient vessels for microvascular tissue transfer revealed papillary thyroid carcinoma in both cases. The patients subsequently underwent total thyroidectomy, neck dissection, and postoperative radioactive iodine ablation of residual thyroid tissue. After 1 year of follow-up, both patients were without evidence of recurrent disease.

CONCLUSIONS

An individualized approach is justified to treat metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma incidentally discovered during other procedures. The case reports underscore the importance of pathological analysis of surgical specimens obtained during head and neck reconstruction.