Year: 2015
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Lingual thyroid is a rare clinical entity that is caused by the failure of the thyroid gland to descend to its normal cervical location. The pathogenesis is unclear. The occurrence of a lingual thyroid at the base of the tongue may cause various symptoms. One of the treatments for this disorder includes the use of an exogenous thyroid hormone to induce shrinkage of the gland. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the effectiveness of hormone suppressiontreatment (HST) for the treatment of lingual thyroid. Method: Applying established methodology, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on the management of lingual thyroid from 1966 to December 2013. Results: Eighty patients were treated by HST, of which 52 / 80 (65%) improved. Improvement was defined as the disappearance of the symptom that initiated HST. Of the patients, 88.3% (68 / 77) were female. Conclusion: HST was effective in about two-thirds of patients with lingual thyroid. HST treatment should be considered a first line treatment, unless the patient presents with a life-threatening situation, such as frank bleeding or a pending airway compromise.
Author: Amani Alharbi
Institution: Ministry of Health
Language: English
Topic: Head and Neck Anomalies
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W2187723934