[Preoperative prediction of the character of strumas].

We analyzed prospectively collected preoperative data of 278 goiter patients in order to determine predictors of goiter dignity. Aspiration-biopsy-cytology (ABC) revealed to be a good predictor as a result of a regression analysis. Its predictive value could not be improved significantly by combining ABC-data with other preoperative data. Patients with malignant goiters significantly differed from those with benign goiters with respect to age distribution, growth duration of the goiter and its function and texture, whereas sex distribution, nodularity and scintigraphic appearance did not differ significantly in the two groups.