Wound Infection to the Silk Sutures after Thyroid Surgery

Abstract

A mild reaction to surgical sutures after thyroid surgery is common, but severe reaction with microabscesses and granulomatous masses is extremely rare. We report a case of wound infection around the silk sutures after thyroid surgery. A 40-year-old woman complained of abscess in the anterior region of the neck. Subtotal thyroidectomy for Basedow's disease was performed when she was 36-year-old. There-after she developed fistula, granulation, and subcutaneous tumors around the scar. A CT scan of the neck demonstrated a small collection suspected to be microabscesses along both sides and anterior to the trachea. Culture tests for bacteria were negative and her blood count did not show any leukocytosis or eosinophilia. Under general anesthesia, we performed debridement for wound infection using ultrasonically activated scalpels and nylon suture. Ten months after surgery, she has shown an uneventful course.