Korean J Endocr Surg.  2008 Dec;8(4):256-259. 10.16956/kjes.2008.8.4.256.

Predicting Hypocalcemia after Total Thyroidectomy in Patients with Thyroid Carcinoma

• Kang BG
• Cho MS
• Bae KS
• Kang SJ

• KMID: 2375843
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.16956/kjes.2008.8.4.256

Abstract

PURPOSE
Postoperative hypocalcemia is a common complication compared with the other complications following total thyroidectomy due to thyroid carcinoma. We evaluated the incidence of transient and permanent hypocalcemia and the preservation status of the parathyroid glands following total thyroidectomy due to thyroid carcinoma.
METHODS
We analyzed a total of 145 cases of total thyroidectomy due to thyroid carcinoma. The preservation status of the prarathyroid glands after total thyroidectomy was classified as intact preservation or ischemic change, according to the number of intact preserved parathyroid glands in group 1 (more than 2), group 2 (1) or group 3 (0).
RESULTS
Permanent hypocalcemia was not found in group 1. The rate of transient or permanent hypocalcemia was significantly lower in group 2 than that in group 3 (P< 0.05).
CONCLUSION
The parathyroid glands should be preserved to minimize the occurrence of hypocalemia after performing total thyroidectomy. The number of intact preserved parathyroid glands can be a good indicator for predicting the occurrence of post-total thyroidectomy hypocalcemia.

Keyword

Hypocalcemia; Thyroid cancer; Parathyroid

MeSH Terms

Humans
Hypocalcemia*
Incidence
Parathyroid Glands
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms*
Thyroidectomy*