Purpose: Pediatric papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is recommended to perform aggressive surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence.This study was designed to evaluate the concurrent association between multifocality, bilaterality, and the risk of recurrence in pediatric PTC. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients (age <19 years) who underwent total thyroidectomy for PTC between 1996 and 2014 in a single tertiary center. Clinicopathological parameters were analyzed to evaluate the prevalence of multifocality, bilaterality, recurrence, and their association. Results: We analyzed 58 pediatric patients with PTC. There was no factor related to the presence of multifocality or bilaterality in multivariate analysis. Also, in univariate analysis, multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation (p=0.061 and p=0.061, respectively). Recurrence was observed in 19 (32.8%) patients. In multivariate analysis of recurrence, clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross extrathyroidal extension (ETE) were independent risk factors (p=0.027, p=0.035, and p=0.038, respectively). Most recurrences (68.4%) happened during the first 4 years of follow-up after the initial thyroidectomy. Conclusion Multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation; however, multifocality was the risk factor for recurrence in pediatric PTC. For pediatric PTC, close monitoring for recurrence within the initial 4 years is recommended, particularly in patients with clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross ETE.

Purpose: Pediatric papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is recommended to perform aggressive surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence.This study was designed to evaluate the concurrent association between multifocality, bilaterality, and the risk of recurrence in pediatric PTC. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients (age <19 years) who underwent total thyroidectomy for PTC between 1996 and 2014 in a single tertiary center. Clinicopathological parameters were analyzed to evaluate the prevalence of multifocality, bilaterality, recurrence, and their association. Results: We analyzed 58 pediatric patients with PTC. There was no factor related to the presence of multifocality or bilaterality in multivariate analysis. Also, in univariate analysis, multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation (p=0.061 and p=0.061, respectively). Recurrence was observed in 19 (32.8%) patients. In multivariate analysis of recurrence, clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross extrathyroidal extension (ETE) were independent risk factors (p=0.027, p=0.035, and p=0.038, respectively). Most recurrences (68.4%) happened during the first 4 years of follow-up after the initial thyroidectomy. Conclusion Multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation; however, multifocality was the risk factor for recurrence in pediatric PTC. For pediatric PTC, close monitoring for recurrence within the initial 4 years is recommended, particularly in patients with clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross ETE.

Purpose: Pediatric papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is recommended to perform aggressive surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence.This study was designed to evaluate the concurrent association between multifocality, bilaterality, and the risk of recurrence in pediatric PTC. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients (age <19 years) who underwent total thyroidectomy for PTC between 1996 and 2014 in a single tertiary center. Clinicopathological parameters were analyzed to evaluate the prevalence of multifocality, bilaterality, recurrence, and their association. Results: We analyzed 58 pediatric patients with PTC. There was no factor related to the presence of multifocality or bilaterality in multivariate analysis. Also, in univariate analysis, multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation (p=0.061 and p=0.061, respectively). Recurrence was observed in 19 (32.8%) patients. In multivariate analysis of recurrence, clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross extrathyroidal extension (ETE) were independent risk factors (p=0.027, p=0.035, and p=0.038, respectively). Most recurrences (68.4%) happened during the first 4 years of follow-up after the initial thyroidectomy. Conclusion Multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation; however, multifocality was the risk factor for recurrence in pediatric PTC. For pediatric PTC, close monitoring for recurrence within the initial 4 years is recommended, particularly in patients with clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross ETE.

Purpose: Pediatric papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is recommended to perform aggressive surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence.This study was designed to evaluate the concurrent association between multifocality, bilaterality, and the risk of recurrence in pediatric PTC. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients (age <19 years) who underwent total thyroidectomy for PTC between 1996 and 2014 in a single tertiary center. Clinicopathological parameters were analyzed to evaluate the prevalence of multifocality, bilaterality, recurrence, and their association. Results: We analyzed 58 pediatric patients with PTC. There was no factor related to the presence of multifocality or bilaterality in multivariate analysis. Also, in univariate analysis, multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation (p=0.061 and p=0.061, respectively). Recurrence was observed in 19 (32.8%) patients. In multivariate analysis of recurrence, clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross extrathyroidal extension (ETE) were independent risk factors (p=0.027, p=0.035, and p=0.038, respectively). Most recurrences (68.4%) happened during the first 4 years of follow-up after the initial thyroidectomy. Conclusion Multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation; however, multifocality was the risk factor for recurrence in pediatric PTC. For pediatric PTC, close monitoring for recurrence within the initial 4 years is recommended, particularly in patients with clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross ETE.

Purpose: Pediatric papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is recommended to perform aggressive surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence.This study was designed to evaluate the concurrent association between multifocality, bilaterality, and the risk of recurrence in pediatric PTC. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients (age <19 years) who underwent total thyroidectomy for PTC between 1996 and 2014 in a single tertiary center. Clinicopathological parameters were analyzed to evaluate the prevalence of multifocality, bilaterality, recurrence, and their association. Results: We analyzed 58 pediatric patients with PTC. There was no factor related to the presence of multifocality or bilaterality in multivariate analysis. Also, in univariate analysis, multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation (p=0.061 and p=0.061, respectively). Recurrence was observed in 19 (32.8%) patients. In multivariate analysis of recurrence, clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross extrathyroidal extension (ETE) were independent risk factors (p=0.027, p=0.035, and p=0.038, respectively). Most recurrences (68.4%) happened during the first 4 years of follow-up after the initial thyroidectomy. Conclusion Multifocality and bilaterality were not independent risk factors of each other’s presentation; however, multifocality was the risk factor for recurrence in pediatric PTC. For pediatric PTC, close monitoring for recurrence within the initial 4 years is recommended, particularly in patients with clear cell subtype, multifocality, and gross ETE.

Background: Changes in thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) levels are associated with the clinical outcomes of Graves’ hyperthyroidism. However, the effects of the patterns of TRAb changes on patient prognosis according to the treatment duration of antithyroid drugs (ATDs) are not well established. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 1,235 patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism who were treated with ATDs for more than 12 months were included. Patients were divided into two groups according to treatment duration: group 1 (12–24 months) and group 2 (>24 months). Risk prediction models comprising age, sex, and either TRAb levels at ATD withdrawal (model A) or patterns of TRAb changes (model B) were compared. Results: The median treatment duration in groups 1 (n=667, 54%) and 2 (n=568, 46%) was 17.3 and 37.1 months, respectively. The recurrence rate was significantly higher in group 2 (47.9%) than in group 1 (41.4%, P=0.025). Group 2 had significantly more goiter, thyroid eye disease, and fluctuating and smoldering type of TRAb pattern compared with group 1 (all P<0.001). The patterns of TRAb changes were an independent risk factor for recurrence after adjusting for other confounding factors in all patients, except in group 1. Integrated discrimination improvement and net reclassification improvement analyses showed that model B performed better than model A in all patients, except in group 1. Conclusion The dynamic risk model, including the patterns of TRAb changes, was more suitable for predicting prognosis in patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism who underwent longer ATD treatment duration.

Purpose: Surgery, radiotherapy (RT), and chemotherapy have prolonged the survival of patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma. However, whether RT induces long-term toxicity remains unknown. We analyzed the relationship between the RT dose to the fornix and symptomatic radiation necrosis (SRN). Materials and Methods: A total of 67 patients treated between 2009 and 2019 were analyzed. SRN was defined according to the following three criteria: 1) radiographic findings, 2) symptoms attributable to the lesion, and 3) treatment resulting in symptom improvement. Various contours, including the fornix, were delineated. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the relationship between RT dose and SRN, as well as receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for cut-off values, were performed. Results: The most common location was the frontal lobe (n=40, 60%). Gross total resection was performed in 38 patients (57%), and 42 patients (63%) received procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine chemotherapy. With a median follow-up of 42 months, the median overall and progression-free survival was 74 months. Sixteen patients (24%) developed SRN. In multivariate analysis, age and maximum dose to the fornix were associated with the development of SRN. The cut-off values for the maximum dose to the fornix and age were 59 Gy (equivalent dose delivered in 2 Gy fractions) and 46 years, respectively. The rate of SRN was higher in patients whose maximum dose to the fornix was >59 Gy (13% vs. 43%, p=0.005). Conclusion The maximum dose to the fornix was a significant factor for SRN development. While fornix sparing may help maintain neurocognitive function, additional studies are needed.

Background: Thyroid cancer mortality has been largely overlooked as relatively stable given the large gap between thyroid cancer incidence and mortality. This study evaluated long-term trends in age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) throughout Korea and compared them with mortality data reported by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER). Methods: Cancer-specific mortality data from 1985 to 2020 were obtained from Statistics Korea. ASMRs from thyroid cancer were calculated based on the Korean mid-year resident registration population of 2005. We assessed SEER*Explorer and downloaded the mortality data. Results: The ASMR increased from 0.19 to 0.77/100,000 between 1985 and 2002 but decreased continuously to 0.36/100,000 in 2020. The annual percent change (APC) in the ASMR between 1985 and 2003 and between 2003 and 2020 was 6.204 and −4.218, respectively, with similar patterns observed in both men and women. The ASMR of the SEER showed a modest increase from 1988 to 2016 and then stabilized. In subgroup analysis, the ASMR of the old age group (≥55 years) increased significantly from 0.82 in 1985 to 3.92/100,000 in 2002 (APC 6.917) but then decreased again to 1.86/100,000 in 2020 (APC −4.136). ASMRs according to the age group in the SEER showed a relatively stable trend even in the elderly group. Conclusion The ASMR of thyroid cancer in Korea had increased from 1985 to 2002 but has since been steadily decreasing. This trend was mainly attributed to elderly people aged 55 or over. The absolute APC value of Korea was much higher than that of the SEER.

Objective: Dysphagia is a common clinical condition characterized by difficulty in swallowing. It is sub-classified into oropharyngeal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the mouth and pharynx, and esophageal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the esophageal body and esophagogastric junction. Dysphagia can have a significant negative impact one’s physical health and quality of life as its severity increases. Therefore, proper assessment and management of dysphagia are critical for improving swallowing function and preventing complications. Thus a guideline was developed to provide evidence-based recommendations for assessment and management in patients with dysphagia. Methods: Nineteen key questions on dysphagia were developed. These questions dealt with various aspects of problems related to dysphagia, including assessment, management, and complications. A literature search for relevant articles was conducted using Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and one domestic database of KoreaMed, until April 2021. The level of evidence and recommendation grade were established according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Results: Early screening and assessment of videofluoroscopic swallowing were recommended for assessing the presence of dysphagia. Therapeutic methods, such as tongue and pharyngeal muscle strengthening exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation with swallowing therapy, were effective in improving swallowing function and quality of life in patients with dysphagia. Nutritional intervention and an oral care program were also recommended. Conclusion This guideline presents recommendations for the assessment and management of patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia, including rehabilitative strategies.