Topographic anatomy of the esophagus after thyroidectomy

Objective. To describe the topographic anatomy of the esophagus after thyroidectomy. Materials and methods. The data of pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging of the soft tissues of the neck were studied in 61 patients operated on for multinodular colloid goiter, autoimmune thyroiditis, diffuse toxic goiter with a thyroid volume of more than 100 cm3. All the patients underwent thyroidectomy. On tomograms before the surgery, two, six and twelve months after it, the topography of the esophagus was assessed in three planes: axial, frontal and sagittal. Transverse, antero-posterior and angular disposition of the esophagus were measured quantitatively. The displacement was estimated relative to the horizontal and vertical lines drawn through the middle of the body and the anterior edge of the cervical vertebra. Skeletotopically, the section was referred to the sixth, seventh cervical vertebrae and the first thoracic one. The numerical indicators ​​obtained during the measurements were analyzed dynamically. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica 6.0 program. Results. The lumen of the esophagus in the postoperative period increased in the antero-posterior direction and shifted to the left lateral wall of the trachea. The organ took a spherical shape. In 73% of cases, the esophagus was parallel to the trachea 12 months after thyroidectomy. Conclusion. Within a year after thyroidectomy, changes in the shape, diameter and topography of the cervical part of the esophagus occur. 12 months after thyroid removal, the anteroposterior size of the esophagus becomes six times larger in comparison with the preoperative one, it shifts to the left lateral wall of the trachea by 2.12 cm relative to the vertical axis. The results obtained can be useful for repeated surgical interventions in this area.