Latent carcinoma of thyroid in Israel: a study of 260 autopsies.

Thyroid glands from 260 consecutive autopsies of patients over the age of 20 were examined. Seventeen (6.5%) latent carcinomas of the thyroid were found-11 papillary and 6 follicular. In 15 cases no metastases were found, but in two cases of latent papillary carcinoma diffuse metastases were present in the lungs at death. The frequency of carcinoma increased with age with a peak in the seventh decade. There was no female predominance. The tumors were more frequent in Jews born in Europe. The rates of adenoma, goiter and primary malignancies of other sites were increased in patients with latent thyroid carcinoma.