Mediastinal dissection and reconstruction for recurrent Hürthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid

A 69-year-old man presented with recurrent Hürthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid. Successful surgical resection of the recurrent tumor included the larynx and trachea; skin, soft tissues, and lymph nodes of the neck; and the tissues of the anterior mediastinum, including upper sternum and clavicular heads. Coverage of the wound was accomplished with an inferiorly based parasternal fasciocutaneous flap and a long pectoralis myocutaneous flap. This represents the first reported case of Hürthle cell carcinoma treated with mediastinal dissection for extensive local disease. Radical surgical resection should be considered for any patient with Hürthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid in view of the ineffectiveness of nonsurgical modalities.