[Recurrent nodular goiter. Characteristic features and surgical management]

Area of Science:

• Endocrine Surgery
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Recurrent nodular goiter presents challenges in management.
• Reoperation for nodular goiter requires careful consideration of surgical approach and potential complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of thyroid carcinoma in recurrent nodular goiter.
• To analyze surgical techniques, complications, and outcomes of reoperations for nodular goiter.
• To evaluate the efficacy of radical surgical treatment for recurrent nodular goiter.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 588 reoperations on 577 patients with recurrent nodular goiter (1985-1996).
• Surgical approaches included medial (73%) and lateral (27%) techniques.
• Complications such as hypoparathyroidism and recurrent nerve paralysis were documented.

Main Results:

• Thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed in 4.76% of patients.
• Early postoperative complications included hypoparathyroidism (1.7%) and recurrent nerve paralysis (4.76%).
• A 10% rate of new recurrence of the thyroid disease was observed.

Conclusions:

• The findings support a radical surgical approach for all patients with nodular recurrent goiter.
• Early detection and management of thyroid carcinoma are crucial in reoperative thyroid surgery.
• Radical surgery aims to minimize the risk of malignancy and disease recurrence.