Transoral robotic resection of an ectopic tongue-base thyroid gland

Lingual thyroid is an uncommon condition, often asymptomatic. Given its benign nature, every treatment should be well balanced in terms of advantages and local morbidity. When a treatment is planned, medical and surgical therapy should be weighed against each other. Among surgical options, robotic techniques offer several advantages compared to traditional transoral procedures and external approaches, in terms of ability of resection, morbidity and quality of life. Here we present the case of a patient with tongue-base ectopic thyroid managed by means of transoral robotic surgery. The intuitiveness of the procedure associated with very minimal invasiveness are confirmed in this case. Particularly when dealing with benign lesions that involve hard-to-reach regions such as the tongue base, robotic techniques should be considered as a truly valid alternative to traditional techniques. © 2012 Springer-Verlag London Ltd.