[Clinical characteristics of metastases of thyroid cancer to the lungs].

Metastases were detected in 120 out of 598 cancer patients (20.2%). 96 patients underwent a close clinical examination. Symptoms produced by mediastinal and lung metastases were the first clinical manifestations of the disease in 23% of cases, whereas in 38.5%, both metastases and primary tumor were detected simultaneously. Metastatic cancer of lung and mediastinum was mostly symptom-free. Metastases most frequently occurred in lungs, less frequently in mediastinal lymph nodes and rarely in the pleura. Lung metastases usually disseminated in foci. Spherical metastases and foci of shadowed lung tissue were less frequent. In cases of thyroid cancer disseminated into mediastinum, all groups of lymph nodes were involved. If slightly enlarged, regional lymph nodes located behind manubrium sterni were most difficult to detect.