The role of thyroid therapy in patients with thyroid cysts.

Twenty patients with benign thyroid cysts were studied in a prospective double-blind fashion to determine the effect of thyroid therapy on the recurrence of these cysts after aspiration. When the 10 patients receiving placebo medication were compared with the 10 patients ingesting thyroid hormone, no significant difference was found in the time either group was free of cyst recurrence. We conclude that thyroid therapy is not effective in preventing the recurrence of benign thyroid cysts after initial aspiration.