Background: This study was undertaken to determine the optimal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) value associated with structural recurrence in patients with low-risk or intermediate-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) who underwent thyroid lobectomy.
Methods: Patients with PTC (n = 1047) who received thyroid lobectomy and central compartment node dissection were included in the study.
Results: Structural recurrence occurred in 42 of the patients (4.0%), and no patient died of PTC. Multivariate analysis showed a primary tumor size (with a cut-off of 0.85 cm) and serum TSH level measured 1 year after the initial surgery (cut-off 1.85 mU/L) independently predicted structural recurrence.
Conclusions: TSH levels during the early postoperative period need to be monitored and maintained in the lower normal range even in patients with low- or intermediate-risk PTC undergoing thyroid lobectomy.
Keywords: low- and intermediate-ATA risk; papillary thyroid carcinoma; prognosis; thyroid lobectomy; thyroid-stimulating hormone.
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.