Mediastinal metastasis of differentiated thyroid cancers. Treatment by total mediastinal curettage in 9 cases

Nine patients with mediastinal lymph node metastasis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (7 papillary carcinomas, 1 Hurtle's cells carcinoma, 1 insular carcinoma) have been treated by systematic mediastinal dissection, 2 cases arose 6 and 10 years after the initial surgery, 2 cases after 18 and 20 months, but 5 revealed their metastases at the moment of the diagnosis or 3 months later. Investigations caused by a rise in thyroglobuline level (4 cases) necessarily involve a mediastinal CT scan, which always proved conclusive. All the patients underwent a median total sternotomy associated with a cervicotomy either for total thyroidectomy with conservative bilateral neck dissection, or for revision of the initial dissection. We describe the technique of mediastinal dissection allowing the resection of all the mediastinal lymph nodes. Mortality was zero and morbidity remained reasonable. 3 patients had recurrences: 2 died from multiple diffused metastases 18 months later, the third has pulmonary and mediastinal metastases well controlled by radio-iodine and external radiotherapy with a 5 years follow-up 6 are under total remission without sequel with a follow up ranging from 6 months to 8 years. Rather uncommon, total mediastinal dissection gives a long lasting remission with good living conditions to patients unresponsive to other therapies.