Postoperative outcome of insufficient surgery for small differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

We performed conservative surgery for small differentiated thyroid carcinoma, but also inadvertently carried out minimal insufficient surgery, such as enucleation (Ex) or partial lobectomy (pLx) without regional node dissection for malignant thyroid nodules. In this study, the long-term postoperative outcome after such insufficient surgical treatment was evaluated. Of 348 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who underwent initial surgery between 1953 and 1976, 84 underwent either Ex or pLx and their records are herein reviewed. The frequency of recurrence from the remnant gland or regional lymph nodes was examined in relation to the tumor diameter (< or = 1.0 cm, tis; 1.0 cm-2.0 cm, t1; > 2.0 cm, t2). After Ex/pLx, the recurrence rate in the tis group was 13.3% and not significantly different from that (13.6%) in the t1 group. The recurrence rate was notably increased in the t2 group. Moreover, there was no significant difference between the recurrence rate in the tis and t1 groups after Ex/pLx and that after lobectomy with nodal dissection. These results suggest that a reoperative procedure with a more extensive thyroidectomy and neck dissection might not necessarily be required immediately after minimal insufficient surgery is inadvertently carried out in patients with small differentiated thyroid carcinoma measuring 2.0 cm in diameter or less.