Transoral Robotic Lingual Thyroidectomy

Abstract

Base of tongue is the most common location of ectopic thyroid. Conservative management is the mainstay of treatment, but surgical treatment is required when complications occur due to the airway obstruction, dysphagia, or hemorrhage. An 18-year-old male with dyspnea and voice change was diagnosed with lingual thyroid, and the symptoms were refractory after several months of thyroid hormone replacement. The lingual thyroid gland was surgically excised using transoral robotic surgery (TORS). Although there are many surgical approaches for the resection of the lingual thyroid, TORS has advantages of using the natural orifice, and leaving no scar on the cervical area. Herein, we report a case of TORS-assisted lingual thyroidectomy with a literature review.