Thyroid disease following irradiation for benign conditions.

One hundred twenty-five patients with a history of prior irradiation to the head and neck region for benign disease underwent thyroidectomies between 1967 and 1976 at Evanston Hospital. One hundred twenty-four had a palpable abnormality. Forty-two had carcinoma, and nine of these had nodal metastases. Palpation was found to be more accurate than thyroid isotope scan in finding carcinoma within an abnormal gland. Some form of irradiation thyroiditis was found in one half of the resected specimens.