Carcinoma of the thyroid in Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, Pretoria.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the pattern of thyroid carcinoma diagnosed at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital over a ten-year period.

DESIGN

A retrospective study.

SETTINGS

Ga-Rankuwa Hospital; a teaching hospital for the Medical University of Southern Africa.

SUBJECTS

Seventy one patients who were diagnosed as having carcinoma of the thyroid during the study period.

RESULTS

The male to female ratio was 1:4.5. Papillary and follicular carcinoma constituted 42.3% and 40.9%, respectively. Anaplastic carcinoma constituted seven per cent and three cases of medullary carcinoma were seen. There were two cases of Hurthle cell carcinoma and two cases showed a mixed histology.

CONCLUSION

All the histological subtypes of thyroid carcinoma do occur in our patient population.