Background and Objectives: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) accounts for 1–2% of all thyroid malignancies, and it originates from parafollicular “C” cells. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a tumor marker, mainly for gastrointestinal malignancies. There are references in literature where elevated CEA levels may be the first finding in MTC. The aim of this study is to determine the importance of measuring preoperative and postoperative CEA values in patients with MTC and to define the clinical significance of the correlation between CEA and the origin of C cells. Materials and Methods: The existing and relevant literature was reviewed by searching for articles and specific keywords in the scientific databases of PubMedCentraland Google Scholar (till December 2020). Results: CEA has found its place, especially at the preoperative level, in the diagnostic approach of MTC. Preoperative CEA values >30 ng/mL indicate extra-thyroid disease, while CEA values >100 ng/mL are associated with lymph node involvement and distant metastases. The increase in CEA values preoperatively is associated with larger size of primary tumor, presence of lymph nodes, distant metastases and a poorer prognosis. The clinical significance of CEA values for the surgeon is the optimal planning of surgical treatment. In the recent literature, C cells seem to originate from the endoderm of the primitive anterior gut at the ultimobranchial bodies’ level. Conclusions: Although CEA is not a specific biomarker of the disease in MTC, itsmeasurement is useful in assessing the progression of the disease. The embryonic origin of C cells could explain the increased CEA values in MTC.

Background and Objectives: Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is one of the major complications of thyroidectomy, with the lateral thyroid ligament (Berry’s ligament) being the most frequent site of nerve injury. Neuromonitoring during thyroidectomy revealed three possible anatomical regions of the recurrent laryngeal nerve P1, P2, and P3. P1 represents the recurrent laryngeal nerve’s caudal extralaryngeal part and is primarily associated with Berry’s ligament. The aim of this systematic review is to identify the anatomical region with the highest risk of injury of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (detected via neuromonitoring) during thyroidectomy and to demonstrate the significance of Berry’s ligament as an anatomical structure for the perioperative recognition and protection of the nerve. Materials and Methods: This study conducts a systematic review of the literature and adheres to all PRISMA system criteria as well as recommendations for systematic anatomical reviews. Three search engines (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane) were used, and 18 out of 464 studies from 2003–2018 were finally included in this meta-analysis. All statistical data analyses were performed via SPSS 25 and Microsoft Office XL software. Results: 9191 nerves at risk were identified. In 75% of cases, the recurrent laryngeal nerve is located superficially to the ligament. In 71% of reported cases, the injury occurred in the P1 area, while the P3 zone (below the location where the nerve crosses the inferior thyroid artery) had the lowest risk of injury. Data from P1, P2, and P3 do not present significant heterogeneity. Conclusions: Berry’s ligament constitutes a reliable anatomical structure for recognizing and preserving recurrent laryngeal nerves. P1 is the anatomical area with the greatest risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve damage during thyroidectomy, compared to P2 and P3.

Background and Objectives: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) poses a common condition among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to the chronic stimulation of the parathyroid glands as a result of persistently low calcium levels. As a first option for medical treatment, vitamin D receptor analogs (VDRAs) and calcimimetic agents are generally used. Apart from cinacalcet, which is orally taken, in recent years, another calcimimetic agent, etelcalcetide, is being administered intravenously during dialysis. Materials and Methods: In a 5-year retrospective study between 2018 and 2023, 52 patients undergoing dialysis were studied. The aim of this study is to highlight the possible effects and/or benefits that intravenously administered calcimimetic agents have on CKD patients. A total of 34 patients (65.4%) received cinacalcet and etelcalcetide while parathormone (PTH) and calcium serum levels were monitored on a monthly basis. Results: A total of 29 out of 33 patients (87.9%) that received treatment with etelcalcetide showed a significant decrease in PTH levels, which rose up to 57% compared to the initial values. None of the included patients needed to undergo parathyroidectomy (PTx) due to either extremely high and persistent PTH levels or severe side effects of the medications. It is generally strongly advised that parathyroidectomies should be performed by an expert surgical team. In recent years, a significant decrease in parathyroidectomies has been recorded globally, a fact that is mainly linked to the constantly wider use of new calcimimetic agents. This decrease in parathyroidectomies has resulted in an important decrease in complications occurring in cervical surgeries (e.g., perioperative hemorrhage and nerve damage). Conslusions: Despite the fact that these surgical complications cannot be easily compared to the pharmaceutical side effects, the recorded decrease in parathyroidectomies is considered to be notable, especially in cases of relapse where a difficult reoperation would be considered based on previously published guidelines.

Background and Objectives: Incidental thyroid cancers (ITCs) are often microcarcinomas. The most frequent histologic type is a papillary microcarcinoma. Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas are defined as papillary thyroid tumours measuring less than 10 mm at their greatest diameter. They are clinically occult and frequently diagnosed incidentally in histopathology reports after a thyroidectomy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the rate of papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMC) in patients who were thyroidectomised with indications of benign disease. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the histological incidence of PTMC in 431 consecutive patients who, in a 5 year period, underwent a thyroidectomy with benign indications. Patients with benign histology and with known or suspected malignancy were excluded. Results: Histopathology reports from 540 patients who underwent a total thyroidectomy in our department between 2016 and 2021 were reviewed. A total of 431 patients were thyroidectomised for presumed benign thyroid disease. A total of 395 patients had confirmed benign thyroid disease in the final histopathology, while 36 patients had incidental malignant lesions (33 PTMC—7.67%, one multifocal PTC without microcarcinomas—0.23%, two follicular thyroid carcinoma—0.46%). Out of the PTMC patients, 29 were female and four were male (7.2:1 female–male ratio). The mean age was 54.2 years old. A total of 24 out of 33 patients had multifocal lesions, 11 of which co-existed with macro PTC. Nine patients had unifocal lesions. A total of 21 of these patients were initially operated on for multinodular goitre (64%), while 13 were operated on for Hashimoto/Lymphocytic thyroiditis (36%). Conclusions: PTMC—often multifocal—is not an uncommon, incidental finding after thyroidectomy for benign thyroid lesions (7.67% in our series) and often co-exists with other incidental malignant lesions (8.35% in our series). The possibility of an underlying papillary microcarcinoma should be taken into account in the management of patients with benign—especially nodular—thyroid disease, and total thyroidectomy should be considered.

The first few hours following thyroidectomy are the most crucial for pain management. Adequate postoperative pain control, reduction in opioid abuse and the possibility of implementing one-day operations are the considered parameters when developing the postoperative analgesic strategy. A study of the available literature was conducted, exploring the efficacy of (open) thyroidectomy wound infiltration. Seventeen full-text RCTs were extracted. Local anesthetics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were infiltrated. Emphasis was given to postoperative pain scores and requirements for rescue analgesia with opioids. Most authors agree that local wound infiltration for thyroidectomized patients is effective in the management of postoperative pain parameters. In the era of multimodal analgesia, thyroidectomy wound infiltration could represent an essential adjunct contributing to lower VAS scores and reduced opioid requirements.

Background/Objectives: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a highly aggressive tumor, as it is characterized by a high probability of local recurrence and distant metastases, even after surgical treatment. Early detection of disease recurrence is critical for improving long-term treatment outcomes and overall patient survival. By comparing different radiopharmaceuticals, this analysis aimed to strengthen existing guidelines and help bridge the gap between the recommendations of the ESMO and the ATA, highlighting the importance of PET/CT scanning in the postoperative follow-up of patients with MTC. Methods: This research was carried out using three searchable databases, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate, resulting in 575 bibliographic studies up to the date of 20 June 2024. A meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy was performed using the software Meta—DiSc, Version: 2.0 (Universidad Complutense, Barcelona, Spain), which led to aggregate assessments and the design of the SROC. Results: A quality assessment of the eligible studies was conducted, and the key findings were summarized. Conclusions: Regardless of methodology, PET/CT scanning exhibits high sensitivity and specificity values in the diagnosis of local recurrence and metastases in surgical patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma. Furthermore, based on a comparative analysis of18F-FDG and GA68-DOTATE, it appears that these misunderstood radiopharmaceuticals are particularly sensitive and reliable for highlighting MTC, and it was found that there were no statistical differences in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, these two modalities appear to be complementary in monitoring MTC patients.