[A statistical survey of autopsy cases of malignant goiter (author's transl)].

A total of 747 cases of malignant neoplasms of the thyroid reported in the "Annual of the Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan" during the past 5 years (1969 approximately 1973) were reviewed and statistically analysed. Histological diagnosis in this series were papillary carcinoma in 323 cases (51.8%), follicular carcinoma in 143 cases (22.9%) and anaplastic carcinoma in 102 cases (16.3%). The average age of patients at autopsy was 58 years for papillary carcinoma cases, 62.4 years for follicular carcinoma cases and 61.7 years for anaplastic carcinoma cases. The incidence of metastatsis to lymph nodes and to organs was 47.3% and 51.5%, respectively in cases of follicular carcinoma and 73.3% and 98.0%, respectively in cases of anaplastic carcinoma. Autopsy revealed an otherwise unnoticed thyroid cancer in 457 cases, which accounted for 61.2% of the entire autopsy cases of malignancy of this organ. A so-called multiple cancer, i.e. the concurrence of carcinomas in the thyroid gland and other organs, was seen in 239 cases (32.3%).