Evaluation of Thyroid Bed Nodules on Ultrasonography after Total Thyroidectomy: Risk for Loco-Regional Recurrence of Thyroid Cancer

Objectives: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer who underwent total thyroidectomy to examine the correlation of the persistence of thyroid bed nodules seen on ultrasonography with subsequent loco-regional recurrence. Methods: A total of 60 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were identified who underwent total thyroidectomy, received 131 I therapy and had thyroid bed nodules on postoperative surveillance ultrasonography. The ultrasonographic features of the thyroid bed nodules and their progression over time along with serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels were monitored. Those patients who demonstrated no evidence of recurrence were compared to patients who had recurrence. Results: Of the 60 patients, 25% had documented cancer recurrence. Sixty percent of the patients in the recurrence group had an increase in the size of bed nodules as compared to only 7% of the patients in the group without recurrence. An increase in serum Tg of more than 2-fold was seen in 80% of the patients with recurrence and in only 13% (6/45) of the patients Received: February 16, 2015 Accepted after revision: May 11, 2015 Published online: June 11, 2015 Chitra Choudhary, MD Department of Endocrinology, Medstar Washington Hospital Center 110 Irving St. NW Washington, DC 20010 (USA) E-Mail chitrachoudhary86 @ gmail.com © 2015 European Thyroid Association Published by S. Karger AG, Basel 2235–0640/15/0042–0106$39.50/0 www.karger.com/etj This work was presented as a poster at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico, October 18,