BACKGROUND: The Department of Thoracic Surgery of the National Medical Research Center of Surgery named after A. V. Vishnevsky has been dealing with the problem of surgical treatment of patients with neuroendocrine lung tumors for more than 20 years. This article presents the experience of treating patients with ectopic ACTH syndrome over the past 15 years.

AIM: To study the features of preparation, surgical aspects of treatment and delayed results in patients with ACTH-producing tumors of bronchopulmonary localization.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 55 patients who underwent surgical treatment of ACTH-producing neuroendocrine tumor of bronchopulmonary localization in the period from 2005 to 2020. In order to systematize the approach to surgical treatment and the choice of the type of operation, a point analysis of the patient’s severity has been developed. Demographic information about patients, anamnesis data, results of hormonal and instrumental studies at pre- and postoperative stages and long-term treatment results were analyzed. The control period of observation of patients after surgery ranged from 6 months to 5 years.

RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 72 years (36±15). According to the MSCT results of the chest, neoplasms in the lungs ranging in size from 5 to 25 mm were detected. Patients who scored from 18 to 23 points had lung resection due to the severity of the condition. With a total score from 14 to 18, segmentectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. When the total score was less than 14, a lobectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. During the planned histological examination, lung neuroendocrine tumor of various differentiation degree was confirmed in all patients. The results of treatment were followed in the period from 6 to 60 months, with a median of 19 months [10;24]. Regression of clinical manifestations of hypercortisolism after 1 year of dynamic follow-up period was detected in 83% of patients. After 60 months of follow-up 10 patients (71.4%) had a persistent clinical effect after surgical treatment with complete regression of hypercortisolism symptoms.

CONCLUSION: The analysis of the results of surgical treatment, according to the proposed methodological aspects, with dynamic control after 6, 12 and 36 months showed the effectiveness of such surgical intervention with results comparable to the world indicators of leading clinics.

BACKGROUND: Surgeons from all over the world make considerable efforts to reduce thyroid intraoperative complications such as recurrent laryngeal nerves trauma and parathyroid vascular supply damage.

AIM: The aim of the study was improving thyroidectomy technique to reduce the rate of postoperative complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria were primary thyroid operation in cases of papillary or medullary cancer, follicular tumours (Bethesda IV) and Grave’s disease. Thyroid volume ranged from 12–70 ml. Tension-free technique of thyroidectomy (TFT) was suggested by the authors of this study. Key points of TFT are the following: the first step is the complete dissection of Berry ligament fibers and terminal branches of lower thyroid arteries and vein. There is only lateral traction while medial traction is not applied at all. Mobilization of the upper parathyroid gland is performed at the medial thyroid surface. Thyroid lobe is extracted out of its bed beginning with the lower pole only after complete dissection of Berry’s ligament, vessels and parathyroid glands. The last step of the operation is the dissection of the upper pole thyroid vessels. The mobilized lobe is easily withdrawn downwards, that leads to space increase between external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve and the upper pole of the lobe. Transient and continuous neuromonitoring as well as optical magnification and headlamps were used during operations. Vocal cords function was controlled before and after surgery (on the first day) by means of ultrasound or endoscopic laryngoscopy. Ionized calcium and parathyroid hormone levels were checked in cases of total thyroidectomy group on the day of surgery, on the 1st and 14th postoperative days.

RESULTS: 77 consecutive patients were included into the study (continuous sampling of patients). 33 hemithyroidectomies, 13 hemithyroidectomies with central ipsilateral neck dissection, 21 thyroidectomies, 8 thyroidectomies with central neck dissection, 2 thyroidectomies with central and lateral neck dissection were performed by the same surgeon. All the operations were performed by tension-free technique (TFT). There were no cases of loss of signal from the recurrent laryngeal nerves function during all the operations. One case of postoperative transient hypoparathyroidism finished with normalization of parathyroid hormone and calcium levels in 2 weeks after the operation.

CONCLUSION: initial experience in TFT allows to recommend this procedure for further practicing and examination.

Medullary thyroid cancer (MRSH) has a high malignant potential in the vast majority of cases, but in some patients with MRSH is characterized by a sluggish, non-aggressive course, when patients with the presence of proven medullary carcinoma or distant metastases and / or relapse, can live without progression for a sufficiently long time. Such a course of a malignant tumor is called indolent. The article presents a clinical case of diagnosis and treatment of indolent primary MRSH in a patient with a duration of the disease of 11 years. Shows some features of the dynamics of the level of basal calcitonin and cancer-embryonic antigen (CEA), ultrasound characteristics and data of fine-needle puncture biopsy of the tumor. The phenomenon of indolent course of MRSH characterized, as a rule, by a high malignant potential, is probably due to the biological characteristics of the tumor and requires further research.

In this case report the authors inform about cervico-retrosternal cyst of the parathyroid gland, which develops as a result of spontaneous rupture of the adenoma and the formation of a hematoma with the development of neck compression syndrome. The patient was admitted to the clinic, a week after the onset of the disease, with complaints of dyspnea at rest, stridor breathing, weakness and mass formation of the right lateral region of the neck. There is no history of injuries, pathological fractures or invasive manipulations on the neck, indications of pathology of the thyroid or parathyroid glands. According to multispiral computed tomography, a volumetric fluid formation of the neck and upper mediastinum 63×57 mm in size with compression and narrowing of the trachea up to 5 mm was found. To clarify whether the formation belongs to the thyroid gland or the thyroid gland, a transcutaneous puncture was performed. The level of parathyroid hormone in the liquid is more than 2500 mg / ml, and in the blood — 304.9 pg / ml — parathyroid cyst. Using an increase in compression syndrome, removal of a cyst in a block with adenoma of the right lower parathyroid gland with achievement of remission of primary hyperparathyroidism. This clinical observation shows a rare course of parathyroid adenoma with rupture and hematoma formation, which led to the development of neck compression syndrome.