Study of intraoperative indocyanine green angiography effectiveness for identification of parathyroid glands during total thyroidectomy

Abstract

Postoperative hypocalcemia is a common complication of thyroidectomy. This problem is most often associated with accidental devascularisation or excision of the parathyroid glands (PG). Aim was study near-infrared fluorescent imaging with intraoperative parathyroid gland indocyanine green angiography to help identify and preserve parathyroid glands during total thyroidectomy in order to avoid postoperative hypocalcemia. For period from 2017 to 2019 years, 58 patients in Odessa regional hospital were underwent total thyroidectomy. Indications for surgery were multinodular goiter (n=42), thyroid cancer (n=11) and Graves' disease (n=5). By randomization all patients were divided into two groups: in the first group, 28 patients underwent standard total thyroidectomy, in the second group 30 patients underwent near-infrared-assisted total thyroidectomy with indocyanine green (ICG) angiography. Parathyroid autofluorescence was detected using a near infrared/indocyanine green endoscopic system (Karl Storz, Germany). Serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels were compared between the two groups of patients in 1, 7 -15 days after surgery and then 3, 6 months later. In the first group, on based of a visual assessment of the PG, autotransplantation the PG were conduct in only 4 cases (in 3 cases - one gland, in one case - 2 glands). In the second group, autotransplantation was performed in 11 patients (in 8 cases - one gland, in 2 cases - two, in one case - 3). The transient postoperative hypocalcemia was observed in 5 patients of the first group (17,86%) and in the 2 patients of second group (6,67%) on 5-10 postoperative days. In the first group 1 patient at 3 months after surgery had permanent hypocalcemia. Near-infrared fluorescent imaging with intraoperative parathyroid gland indocyanine green angiography is a safe and an easily repeatable method. This technique provides improved detecting and assessment of the perfusion of the PG. The need for autotransplantation of the PG can be determined more objectively using ICG imaging than simple visualization.

Послеоперационная гипокальциемия – частое осложнение тиреоидэктомии. Эта проблема чаще связана со случайной деваскуляризацией или удалением паращитовидных желез (ПЖ). Целью исследования явилось определение флуоресцентной визуализации в ближнем инфракрасном диапазоне с помощью интраоперационной ангиографии паращитовидных желез с индоцианиновым зеленым для идентификации и сохранения паращитовидных желез при тотальной тиреоидэктомии и исключения послеоперационной гипокальциемии.