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Objectives: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is rare in the pediatric population. It remains unclear whether younger children are at greater risk of more aggressive disease. We aimed to identify prognostic factors for aggressive pediatric DTC and to define an appropriate age stratification., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all patients aged 18 years or less who were treated for DTC between 1985 and 2021 in a tertiary medical center and were followed up for a minimum of 1.5 years after treatment., Results: Seventy-eight patients were included, all diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma: 30 (38.5%) low-risk, 21 (26.9%) intermediate-risk, and 27 (34.6%) high-risk according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) risk stratification. The mean duration of follow-up was 11.8 ± 7.8 years. No evidence of disease was documented in 52 patients (66.7%) at 1-year post-treatment and 64 patients (82.1%) at the end of follow-up. On analysis by age, evidence of disease at 1-year post-treatment was found in 66.7% of children younger than 11 years, compared to 25.4% of older children (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference by age in evidence of disease at the last follow-up (p = 0.453). Patients aged <11 years at diagnosis were associated with more aggressive disease features on histopathologic examination, metastatic disease, and high ATA risk level. Patients aged <8 years were associated with more frequent bilateral disease and extrathyroidal extension., Conclusion: Pediatric DTC patients who are younger than 11 years at diagnosis have more aggressive disease features and a lower early remission rate than older patients. Nevertheless, their long-term outcome is satisfactory., Level of Evidence: 4-retrospective cohort study Laryngoscope, 134:4818-4825, 2024., (© 2024 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Objective: The use of parathyroid lesion aspiration in preoperative adenoma localisation is controversial. Concerns have been raised regarding both immediate safety (hematoma, infection, alterations on a subsequent histologic preparate) and long-term safety (seeding). We aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term safety, and the efficacy, of parathyroid fine-needle aspiration with parathyroid hormone washout as a localisation modality of parathyroid adenoma in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism., Design: A retrospective study., Patients: The sample comprised 29 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent minimally invasive parathyroidectomy at a tertiary referral centre, following localisation with parathyroid hormone washout., Measurements: We reviewed all parathyroid hormone washout procedures performed during 2011-2021. Clinical, biochemical, and imaging information; and cytology, surgery, and pathology reports were extracted from electronic medical records., Results: Parathyroid hormone levels from the needle wash were 2.1-112.5 times the upper limit of the serum norm. Other than mild neck discomfort, no immediate procedure complications were documented. Fibrotic changes and necrosis were reported in two patients, with no effect on the final pathologic diagnosis or surgery course. No long-term complications (seeding, or parathyromatosis) were found. A total of 26 (90%) patients who were operated following a positive parathyroid hormone washout result were normocalcemic at the end of a mean 38.1-month follow-up period., Conclusions: Parathyroid fine-needle aspiration with parathyroid hormone washout was accurate. Immediate, surgical, or delayed complications were not demonstrated in our series. This approach might be considered for selected patients., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: The safety of drainless lateral neck dissection (ND) remains to be proven. Hereby, we describe outcomes of drainless ND using fibrin sealant (FS)., Methods: A retrospective, single academic institute, matched cased control. The study group included patients who underwent drainless ND (drainless group), matched to control patients by age, sex, body mass index, laterality and median number of levels dissected. Additional comparison of patients who underwent at least II-IV lateral ND for a thyroid cancer indication was also conducted. Outcomes were post-operative seroma\infections., Results: A total of 118 patients (42 cases and 76 controls) were included in the study. Groups did not differ in pre-operative characteristics, percentage of bilateral ND, and extension of ND. No significant difference was found in terms of post-operative infections, seroma, aspirations, and post-operative antibiotic use. The additional analysis included 23 drainless lateral ND and matched controls, of which 91% underwent concomitant level V dissection. No significant difference was found in terms of post-operative seroma or infection. These findings were confirmed with a multivariate analysis., Conclusions: Drainless ND using FS in non-violating mucosa surgeries appears to be feasible and safe, without significantly increasing post-operative seroma and its associated complications., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Intestinal strictures are common complications of Crohn's disease (CD). Endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) constitutes an alternative therapy to surgery, but associated factors of procedure success are inconclusive. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the EBD success rate and its associated factors in CD patients.This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive EBDs that were conducted between 2006 and 2014 among patients with CD with lower gastrointestinal tract strictures. Patients' and stricture characteristics, short term procedure success and related complications at 1 week follow-up, and long-term clinical endpoints were documented.A total of 138 dilatations were performed on 64 CD patients. The overall dilatation success rate was 84.8%, with no difference between primary or anastomotic strictures, or between first or recurrent dilatation procedures. Long strictures (≥4 cm) were negatively associated with successful EBDs, but not with perforations. A multivariate analysis adjusting for age, sex, smoking, and disease duration revealed that a maximal dilatation diameter of ≥15 mm was positively associated with a successful EBD, while an inflamed stricture was negatively associated with procedure success. Strictures which were both long and inflamed were associated with the lowest EBD success rates compared with other strictures. Only 32.8% of patients required surgery during the follow-up period. Long-term prevention of surgery was negatively associated with stricture length and with a successful EBD.EBD is highly successful in treating intestinal strictures and in prevention of surgery in CD patients. Although EBD of long strictures is safe, it will not prevent surgery in the majority of cases.