Successful surgical treatment of advanced follicular thyroid carcinoma with tumor thrombus infiltrating the superior vena cava: report of a case

We report a case of advanced follicular thyroid carcinoma with massive involvement of the great veins of the cervix and mediastinum, and extensive tumor thrombus growing intraluminally into the superior vena cava. The patient, a 70-year-old Japanese woman, was treated successfully by a cooperative surgical team of endocrine and cardiovascular surgeons. Total thyroidectomy with thrombectomy was performed via a minimum phlebotomy in the right brachiocephalic vein, sacrificing only the right internal jugular vein, achieving complete primary tumor resection. She recovered quickly without any complications, and received ¹³¹I radioisotope ablation for her multiple lung metastases. At the time of writing, more than 12 months after surgery, she was well. These treatments thus achieved progression-free survival without impairing her quality of life. Following the case report, we discuss the surgical indications for locally advanced thyroid carcinoma involving the great veins of the mediastinum by reviewing previous reports.