Assessment of demographic characteristics and histopathological pattern of thyroidectomies patients in a resource-limited setting: a retrospective cross-sectional study

Thyroid disorders are prevalent among Yemenis. However, there is limited data regarding thyroid disease burden, surgical intervention outcomes, and predictive factors in our country. This study aims to review the indications, histopathology, and complications of thyroid surgery in a resource-limited setting where the management is provided primarily by general surgeons. A retrospective study between Jun 2010 and March 2019 included 246 cases who underwent thyroid operations for a thyroid disorder in Al-Nasr Hospital, Ibb, Yemen. The patient's demographic characteristics, operative findings, complications, fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) results, final pathology, and outcomes were gathered and analyzed. The mean age was 41.60± 8.31 years. The prevalence was high (30.1%) in the age group of 31-40 years and females (87.8%) with a female-to-male ratio of 7.2: 1. The main indication for thyroidectomy was compressional symptoms (35%), and the main preoperative cytology findings were multimodular goiter (89%). There was thyroid cancer in 18(7.3%) patients, and the most type was follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) in 9 patients. The most typical type of surgery was near-total thyroidectomy in 186 (75.6%) patients. Complications were presented in 47 patients (19.1%), and total mortality was observed in 5(2.03%) patients. Intraoperative bleeding was the most typical complication in 36 (14.6%) patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of FNAB were 96.34%, 44.44%, and 96.34%, respectively. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was not precise enough in diagnosing FTC with a sensitivity of 55%. Our result showed a considerable rate of postoperative complications of thyroid surgery, and thyroidectomy may be a viable option even in a resource-limited setting or performed by general surgeons.