Outcomes of nonsuspicious contralateral nodules with active surveillance after lobectomy in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To observe the outcomes of nonsuspicious contralateral nodules with active surveillance in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: 4pt?>Consecutive patients who underwent lobectomy for PTC were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with one or more nodules with nonsuspicious ultrasonography (US) features in the contralateral lobe were included. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighty-three patients were included. All patients underwent thyroid lobectomy with ipsilateral prophylactic central neck dissection. A total of 123 patients (43.5%) were classified as ATA low-risk, and 160 patients (56.5%) were classified as intermediate-risk. The median size of the contralateral nodules was 3 mm (range, 2 to 16 mm). After a period of follow-up, the median size change of contralateral nodules was 0 mm (range, -7 to 8 mm). Eight patients (2.8%) had nodule growth >3 mm, 223 patients (78.8%) had stable or decreased nodules, and 52 patients (18.4%) had no detectable nodules. Nodules in 24 patients had suspicious US features, 16 of which were diagnosed with PTMC by either cytology after FNA (in 7 patients) or histopathology after completion thyroidectomy (in 9 patients). Another four patients received completion thyroidectomy for ipsilateral cervical lymph node metastasis. The 5-year residual lobe recurrence (RLR) rate and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate were 7.4% and 89.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that multifocality and ATA intermediate-risk were independent predictors for RLR (HR4.083, 95%CI 1.480-11.261, P = 0.007; HR 6.045, 95%CI 1.370-26.662, P = 0.017, respectively) and RFS (HR 5.240, 95%CI 2.114-12.991, P < 0.001; HR 5.223, 95%CI 1.353-17.765, P = 0.008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Active surveillance for nonsuspicious contralateral nodules in patients with low-risk and selected intermediate-risk PTC is safe. Multifocality and ATA intermediate-risk are predicters for recurrence. Early detection and salvage surgery are effective.