Open AccessSurgical Treatment of Lingual Thyroid
Author(s) -
Hall Francis T.,
Ghanem Tamer A.,
Stachler Robert J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
otolaryngology–head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.232
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1097-6817
pISSN - 0194-5998
DOI - 10.1177/0194599812451426a176
Subject(s) - medicine , thyroid , debulking , surgery , airway obstruction , thyroid disease , dysphagia , airway , cancer , ovarian cancer
Objective To describe 2 contrasting surgical approaches in the treatment of patients with a lingual thyroid. Method Case series from 2006 to 2008. Condition studied: lingual thyroid. Subjects and setting: Patients requiring surgery for lingual thyroid in a community hospital. Outcome measurements: recurrence, complications. Results A 33‐year‐old woman had a small lingual thyroid. Although she had no symptoms she was planning to become pregnant and it was felt that the lingual thyroid would increase in size with pregnancy and could result in airway obstruction. She therefore underwent transoral laser resection of the entire lingual thyroid. A 36‐year‐old woman had a large combined lingual and sublingual thyroid. She was unable to sleep lying down. She had previously undergone transoral debulking. She underwent a transcervical transhyoid partial pharyngectomy with resection of the entire lingual and sublingual thyroid. Both patients had no recurrence with mean follow‐up of 9 months. There were no complications. Conclusion The treatment of lingual thyroid needs to be tailored to the clinical presentation. Surgery can be performed either through a transoral or transcervical approach depending on the extent of disease.