Endoscopic Central Lymph Node Dissection via Breast Combined with Oral Approach for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Preliminary Study.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and necessity of endoscopic thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection via the combined breast and trans-oral approaches.

Methods: Six patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent endoscopic total thyroidectomy with central node dissection via combined breast and trans-oral approaches from November 2014 to January 2015 in Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, were analyzed.

Results: After completion of endoscopic central lymph node dissection via the traditional breast approach, eight pieces of lymph nodes could still be dissected via the trans-oral approach. Two of these eight pieces were positive for thyroid cancer metastasis.

Conclusions: It is advisable to perform endoscopic central lymph node dissection for thyroid carcinoma via the breast approach combined with the trans-oral approach.