Publication

Abstract : pbBACKGROUND: /bThe American Thyroid Association (ATA) recommends thyroid lobectomy for 1 to 4 cm tumors without adverse features. We studied the prevalence of adverse pathological features in patients eligible for unilateral lobectomy./ppbMETHODS: /bWe conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent total thyroidectomy. Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) with tumors measuring 1 to 4 cm with no known preoperative adverse features were included in this study. Patients with nodal and distant metastasis, tumors 1 cm to  4 cm, age  17 years old, and gross extrathyroidal extension were excluded. Patients with bilateral nodularity on imaging were excluded from the final analysis on adverse features./ppbRESULTS: /bThere were 59.1% of patients undergoing thyroidectomy with tumors measuring 1 to 4 cm and no preoperatively known adverse features who were eligible for lobectomy under current ATA guidelines who would have needed a completion thyroidectomy after pathological analysis of the index tumor./ppbCONCLUSION: /bTwo thirds of the patients may require a completion thyroidectomy if unilateral lobectomy is done in tumors measuring 1 to 4 cm based on adverse pathological features./p