Intraoperative Neuromonitoring and Optical Magnification in the Prevention of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries during Total Thyroidectomy.

Background and Objectives: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) paralysis is a fearful complication during thyroidectomy. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) and optical magnification (OM) facilitate RLN identification and dissection. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the influence of the two techniques on the incidence of RLN paralysis and determine correlations regarding common outcomes in thyroid surgery.

May predictors of difficulty in thyroid surgery increase the incidence of complications? Prospective study with the proposal of a preoperative score.

Background: Although thyroidectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide, some permanent complications, despite the considerably reducing incidence, may affect dramatically the patients quality of life. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether factors identified preoperatively and expressed in a score could be predictors of major surgical difficulty during total thyroidectomy and influence the incidence of complications.

Methods: A total of 164 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy were examined.

Ultrasound Diagnosis of Postoperative Complications of Nerve Repair.

Background: Peripheral nerve injuries often undergo surgical repair, but poor postoperative functional recovery is frequently observed.

Case Description: We describe 4 cases of traumatic nerve lesions in whom postoperative recovery was prevented by complications such as detachment of nerve sutures or neuroma growth. To the best of our knowledge, no similar cases have been reported in literature so far.

Advancement of thyroid surgery video recording: A comparison between two full HD head mounted video cameras.

Background: The aim of this study was to test two different video cameras and recording systems used in thyroid surgery in our Department. This is meant to be an attempt to record the real point of view of the magnified vision of surgeon, so as to make the viewer aware of the difference with the naked eye vision.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, we recorded and compared twenty thyroidectomies performed using loupes magnification and microsurgical technique: ten were recorded with GoPro 4 Session action cam (commercially available) and ten with our new prototype of head mounted video camera.

A mosaic pattern of INI1/SMARCB1 protein expression distinguishes Schwannomatosis and NF2-associated peripheral schwannomas from solitary peripheral schwannomas and NF2-associated vestibular schwannomas.

Background: The INI1/SMARCB1 gene protein product has been implicated in the direct pathogenesis of schwannomas from patients with one form of schwannomatosis [SWNTS1; MIM # 162091] showing a mosaic pattern of loss of protein expression by immunohistochemistry [93% in familial vs. 55% in sporadic cases].

Aim Of Study: To verify whether such INI1/SMARCB1 mosaic pattern could be extended to all schwannomas arising in the sporadic and familial schwannomatoses [i.