Intraoperative ultrasonography for localization of recurrent thyroid cancer

Advances in measurement of thyroglobulin (Tg) and in imaging techniques including high resolution ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET) scan have increased our ability to detect thyroid cancer recurrences at an earlier stage. (1,2) After thyroidectomy, patients are often treated with radioiodine, but the recurrent cancers may not image with radioiodine. In these instances, the only definitive treatment is surgical resection. Reoperative neck surgery can be challenging, especially when trying to find a small cancer nodule within the central neck that contains dense fibrotic scar tissue. Herein we describe the use of intraoperative ultrasonography to identify the location of recurrent thyroid cancer. This technique can aid in tumor localization and may help to avoid complications such as recurrent nerve injury.