39. Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach (TOETVA) for the Treatment of Thyroid Nodules in Pediatric Patients at Hanoi Medical University Hospital
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Abstract
This study evaluated the treatment outcomes of thyroid tumors using transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) in pediatric patients under 18 years of age. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on 36 children who underwent TOETVA at the Oncology Center of Hanoi Medical University Hospital from August 2019 to June 2025. The results were analyzed from 17 cases of benign tumors and 19 cases of thyroid cancer, based on postoperative histopathological findings. The majority of patients were female, with a comparable mean age between the benign and malignant groups. In the benign tumor group, 88.4% of cases underwent surgery due to clinical symptoms, whereas 82.4% of thyroid cancer cases were incidentally detected. The mean tumor size on ultrasound was larger in the benign tumor group (28.6 ± 13.1mm) compared to the malignant group (11.1 ± 5.5mm; p < 0.001). All patients in the cancer group underwent prophylactic central neck dissection, with a rate of occult lymph node metastasis of 57.9%. Multifocal carcinoma was observed in 3 cases (15.8%). The tumor size of the pN1a group tended to be greater than the pN0 group, measuring 12.7 ± 1.8mm and 9.0 ± 1.5mm, respectively (p = 0.156). The percentage of postoperative complications were similar between the benign and malignant groups. After a median follow-up of 22 (5 - 60) months in the cancer group, no case of recurrence was recorded. TOETVA was safe and effective in the treatment of benign and malignant thyroid tumors in pediatric patients.
Article Details
Keywords
Thyroid tumor, thyroid cancer, children, TOETVA
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