%0 Journal Article
%T Improvement in Central Neck Dissection Quality in Thyroid Cancer by Use of Tissue Autofluorescence.
%A Neagoe OC
%A Ionică M
%J Cancers (Basel)
%V 16
%N 2
%D 2024 Jan 6
%M 38254749
%F 6.575
%R 10.3390/cancers16020258
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Risk of postoperative transient or permanent hypoparathyroidism represents one of the most common complications following total thyroidectomy. This risk increases if a cervical lymphadenectomy procedure must also be performed, as is usually the case in thyroid carcinoma patients. Parathyroid autofluorescence (AF) is a non-invasive method that aids intraoperative identification of parathyroid glands.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>In this prospective study, 189 patients with papillary thyroid cancer who underwent total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection were included. Patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups: NAF (no AF, surgery was performed without AF) and the AF group (surgery was performed with AF-Fluobeam LX system, Fluoptics, Grenoble, France).<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>The number of excised lymph nodes was significantly higher in the AF compared to the NAF group, with mean values of 21.3 ± 4.8 and 9.2 ± 4.1, respectively. Furthermore, a significantly higher number of metastatic lymph nodes were observed in the AF group. Transient hypocalcemia recorded significantly lower rates in the AF group with 4.9% compared to 16.8% in the NAF group.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>AF use during total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma patients, decreased the rate of iatrogenic parathyroid gland lesions, and increased the rate of lymphatic clearance.