Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules (THYCOVID): a retrospective, international, multicentre, cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Since its outbreak in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has diverted resources from non-urgent and elective procedures, leading to diagnosis and treatment delays, with an increased number of neoplasms at advanced stages worldwide. The aims of this study were to quantify the reduction in surgical activity for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the COVID-19 pandemic; and to evaluate whether delays in surgery led to an increased occurrence of aggressive tumours.

METHODS

In this retrospective, international, cross-sectional study, centres were invited to participate in June 22, 2022; each centre joining the study was asked to provide data from medical records on all surgical thyroidectomies consecutively performed from Jan 1, 2019, to Dec 31, 2021. Patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules were divided into three groups according to when they underwent surgery: from Jan 1, 2019, to Feb 29, 2020 (global prepandemic phase), from March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021 (pandemic escalation phase), and from June 1 to Dec 31, 2021 (pandemic decrease phase). The main outcomes were, for each phase, the number of surgeries for indeterminate thyroid nodules, and in patients with a postoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancers, the occurrence of tumours larger than 10 mm, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastases, vascular invasion, distant metastases, and tumours at high risk of structural disease recurrence. Univariate analysis was used to compare the probability of aggressive thyroid features between the first and third study phases. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05178186.

FINDINGS

Data from 157 centres (n=49 countries) on 87 467 patients who underwent surgery for benign and malignant thyroid disease were collected, of whom 22 974 patients (18 052 [78·6%] female patients and 4922 [21·4%] male patients) received surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules. We observed a significant reduction in surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the pandemic escalation phase (median monthly surgeries per centre, 1·4 [IQR 0·6-3·4]) compared with the prepandemic phase (2·0 [0·9-3·7]; p<0·0001) and pandemic decrease phase (2·3 [1·0-5·0]; p<0·0001). Compared with the prepandemic phase, in the pandemic decrease phase we observed an increased occurrence of thyroid tumours larger than 10 mm (2554 [69·0%] of 3704 vs 1515 [71·5%] of 2119; OR 1·1 [95% CI 1·0-1·3]; p=0·042), lymph node metastases (343 [9·3%] vs 264 [12·5%]; OR 1·4 [1·2-1·7]; p=0·0001), and tumours at high risk of structural disease recurrence (203 [5·7%] of 3584 vs 155 [7·7%] of 2006; OR 1·4 [1·1-1·7]; p=0·0039).

INTERPRETATION

Our study suggests that the reduction in surgical activity for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the COVID-19 pandemic period could have led to an increased occurrence of aggressive thyroid tumours. However, other compelling hypotheses, including increased selection of patients with aggressive malignancies during this period, should be considered. We suggest that surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules should no longer be postponed even in future instances of pandemic escalation.

FUNDING

None.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 4: a new member of the MEN family

OBJECTIVE

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 4 (MEN4) is caused by a CDKN1B germline mutation first described in 2006. Its estimated prevalence is less than one per million. The aim of this study was to define the disease characteristics.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA 2020 criteria. A literature search from January 2006 to August 2022 was done using MEDLINE® and Web of ScienceTM.

RESULTS

Forty-eight symptomatic patients fulfilled the pre-defined eligibility criteria. Twenty-eight different CDKN1B variants, mostly missense (21/48, 44%) and frameshift mutations (17/48, 35%), were reported. The majority of patients were women (36/48, 75%). Men became symptomatic at a median age of 32.5 years (range 10-68, mean 33.7 ± 23), whereas the same event was recorded for women at a median age of 49.5 years (range 5-76, mean 44.8 ± 19.9) (P = 0.25). The most frequently affected endocrine organ was the parathyroid gland (36/48, 75%; uniglandular disease 31/36, 86%), followed by the pituitary gland (21/48, 44%; hormone-secreting 16/21, 76%), the endocrine pancreas (7/48, 15%), and the thyroid gland (4/48, 8%). Tumors of the adrenal glands and thymus were found in three and two patients, respectively. The presenting first endocrine pathology concerned the parathyroid (27/48, 56%) and the pituitary gland (11/48, 23%). There were one (27/48, 56%), two (13/48, 27%), three (3/48, 6%), or four (5/48, 10%) syn- or metachronously affected endocrine organs in a single patient, respectively.

CONCLUSION

MEN4 is an extremely rare disease, which most frequently affects women around 50 years of age. Primary hyperparathyroidism as a uniglandular disease is the leading pathology.

[EUROCRINE®: adrenal surgery 2015-2019- surprising initial results]

Hintergrund

Seit 2015 erfolgt in Europa mithilfe des EUROCRINE®-Registers eine systematische Dokumentation endokrin-chirurgischer Operationen. Ziel dieser ersten Auswertung war eine Darstellung der Versorgungsrealität für Nebenniereneingriffe in einem homogenen Versorgungsumfeld, entsprechend des deutschsprachigen Raums – bzw. des Präsenzgebiets der Chirurgischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft Endokrinologie (CAEK) der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie (DGAV) – einschließlich einer Analyse der Adhärenz zu geltenden Therapieempfehlungen.

Methodik

Es erfolgte eine deskriptive Analyse der präoperativen Diagnostik, der angewandten Operationstechniken sowie der zugrunde liegenden histologischen Entitäten der zwischen den Jahren 2015 und 2019 über EUROCRINE® in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz dokumentierten Nebennierenoperationen.

Ergebnisse

In den insgesamt 21 teilnehmenden Kliniken des deutschsprachigen EUROCRINE®-Gebiets wurden 658 Operationen an Nebennieren durchgeführt. In 90 % erfolgten unilaterale, in 3 % bilaterale Adrenalektomien und in 7 % andere Resektionsverfahren. Die in 41 % der Operationen dokumentierte histologische Hauptdiagnose war das adrenokortikale Adenom. In 15 % lagen maligne Befunde zugrunde (einschließlich 6 % Nebennierenrindenkarzinome (ACC) und 8 % Nebennierenmetastasen). 23 % der Operationen erfolgten bei Phäochromozytomen. Diese wurden zu 82 % minimal-invasiv operiert, Nebennierenrindenkarzinome lediglich zu 28 % und Nebennierenmetastasen zu 66 %.

Schlussfolgerung

Überraschenderweise wurden nach Nebennierenadenomen und Phäochromozytomen an dritthäufigster Stelle Nebennierenmetastasen unterschiedlicher Primärtumoren reseziert. 28 % der ACC waren für minimal-invasive Techniken vorgesehen, wobei 20 % dieser Fälle eine Konversion zur offenen Operation erforderten. Die aktuelle Analyse deckte Diskrepanzen zwischen Versorgungsrealität und Leitlinienempfehlungen auf, aus denen sich zahlreiche Fragestellungen ergeben, welche nun in ein überarbeitetes EUROCRINE®-Modul zur Dokumentation von Nebennierenoperationen einfließen werden.

[From thyroid nodules to thyroid cancer]

From thyroid nodules to thyroid cancer Abstract. The prevalence of thyroid nodules is around 1 % per life year, whereas 5 % of the nodules are malignant. Primary diagnostics consist of examination of TSH and cervical ultrasound. Depending on the findings, additional laboratory investigations, a scintigraphy or a biopsy are indicated. In case of thyroid cancer, the primary treatment is usually surgery. There are at least nine different clinical guidelines worldwide to provide a standardized perioperative management, whereas the guidelines of the German Association of Endocrine Surgeons (CAEK) and the American Thyroid Association (ATA) are most frequently used in the German speaking part of Europe. Individual therapy concepts are determined at the interdisciplinary endocrinological tumour boards. The indication for postoperative radioiodine treatment or thyroid hormone supplementation in TSH suppression dose in case of differentiated (papillary or follicular) thyroid cancer is evaluated according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) risk stratification.

The impact of vitamin D status on hungry bone syndrome after surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism

OBJECTIVE

Prolonged hypocalcemia but normal intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels after surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) are referred to as 'hungry bone syndrome' (HBS). The aim was to evaluate preoperative risk factors for HBS with a focus on the impact of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency.

DESIGN

Patients having undergone initial successful surgery for sporadic PHPT within 6 years were considered for retrospective analysis.

METHODS

A total of 385 patients were evaluated, of whom 33 (8.6%) developed HBS influencing negatively the postoperative bone metabolism. All patients underwent biochemical evaluations two days before parathyroid surgery and were followed biochemically on a daily basis in the first postoperative week and thereafter at 8 weeks and 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

No relationship was established between preoperative 25(OH)D deficiency and HBS. The only significant risk factor for HBS in multivariable analysis was high levels of preoperative iPTH. As HBS therefore cannot be predicted preoperatively, we recommend a consistent postoperative calcium and vitamin D supplementation to improve the bone metabolism.

Total Thyroidectomy for Amiodarone-induced Thyrotoxicosis in the Hyperthyroid State

Amiodarone is a potent antiarrhythmic agent, indicated for the treatment of refractory arrhythmias, which may lead to thyrotoxicosis. In these patients, thyroidectomy is a valid therapeutic option. Antithyroid therapy in the immediate preoperative setting and the subsequently accepted minimal delay until thyroidectomy have not been clearly defined yet. The aim of the present study was to show, that total thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia in patients with amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) is safe without necessarily obtaining an euthyroid state preoperatively.We conducted a retrospective cohort study of prospectively gathered data on 11 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia between January 2008 and December 2013 for AIT at our University Hospital.All patients were preoperatively treated with carbimazole, steroids and β-receptor antagonists. Additionally, 3 patients received potassium perchlorate and in one patient carbimazole was changed to propylthiouracil. Plasmapheresis was performed in 3 patients. Only one patient was euthyroid at the time of operation. There were no significant intra- and postoperative complications, especially no signs of thyroid storm. One patient could postoperatively be removed from the cardiac transplant waiting list due to improved cardiac function.Improvements in the interdisciplinary surgical management for AIT between cardiologists, endocrinologists, anaesthetists and endocrine surgeons provide the basis of safe total thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia in hyperthyroid state. Early surgery without long delay for medical antithyroid treatment (with its potential negative side effects) is recommended.