Total thyroidectomy versus less-than-total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma of isthmus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma of isthmus (PTCI) has a more aggressive nature, a higher rate of lymph node metastasis and tumor recurrence. Clinicians have different preferences for the surgical approach to PTCI, but there are no definitive guidelines. The purpose of this article is to compare the oncologic outcomes and complications of total thyroidectomy and less-than-total thyroidectomy for PTCI using meta-analysis. Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases for articles that met the inclusion criteria, with an unlimited start date and an end date of February 19, 2023. Exclusion criteria were applied to filter out articles for further analysis. Ultimately, seven articles were used for analysis, all of which were retrospective studies. The MINORS scale was adopted to evaluate the quality of the included literature, and Review Manager 5.4 was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 814 patients were included in the seven articles, including 401 in the less-than-total thyroidectomy group (trial group) and 413 in the total thyroidectomy group (control group). The results of the meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the tumor recurrence rate between the two groups after total thyroidectomy or less-than-thyroidectomy for PTCI (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.49, 4.65; P=0.47), and there was no statistical difference in the incidence of all postoperative complications between the two groups. Conclusions: There may be some limitations in this analysis, such as publication bias and the fact that the included articles were all retrospective studies with a certain degree of heterogeneity. PTCI patients with early staging and no significant lymph node metastases may be able to choose a more conservative surgical approach, which is less-than-total thyroidectomy. Patients with relatively late staging and significant preoperative lymph node metastases or extra thyroidal extension may opt for total thyroidectomy plus lymph node dissection in the central region and, if necessary, lymph node dissection in the lateral cervical region.