Carcinoma thyroid in multi and uninodular goiter.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency and profile of carcinoma in multi-nodular goiter and solitary thyroid nodule.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY

Surgical Unit-I, Ward-3 of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, from January 1999 to January 2009.

METHODOLOGY

Cases with solitary thyroid nodules and multi-nodular goiter were included. Patients under 12 years of age, cystic benign lesion in solitary thyroid nodules or those multi-nodular goiters which were not causing pressure symptoms, cosmetic problems or sign of malignancy were excluded. In solitary thyroid nodule, hemithyroidectomy was done and if histopathology examination revealed carcinoma thyroid then completion thyroidectomy was done. In multi-nodular goiter sub-total thyroidectomy done. Results were described as frequency percentages and mean.

RESULTS

Out of 397 patients of multi-nodular goiter only one patient was found to be papillary carcinoma (0.25%). In 220 patients of solitary thyroid nodules, 93 patients were diagnosed as carcinoma of thyroid (42.27%). Others diagnosed in solitary thyroid nodule were thyroid adenoma, colloid goiter, thyroiditis and multi-nodular goiter. The frequency of papillary carcinoma in 65.95% occuring females of 12-30 years of age and being multifocal in 6.45%, follicular carcinoma in 23.40%, medullary carcinoma in 7.44%, anaplastic carcinoma in 2.12% and lymphoma in 1.01%. Female were predominantly involved and papillary carcinoma was common in 12-30 years of age (71.63%) and follicular was common in 30-40 years of age (68.18%). 6.45% of papillary carcinoma was found to be multifocal in nature.

CONCLUSION

Frequency of carcinoma of thyroid is very high in solitary thyroid nodule (42.27%), but markedly low in multinodular goiter. Papillary carcinoma is the most common variety, most of in younger female.