[Thyroid tumors in obesity].

BACKGROUND

The presence of nodules in the thyroid gland is the most frequent cause of endocrinopathy. The prevalence of thyroid nodules in the United States is estimated to be between 3-10%, whereas the prevalence of thyroid nodules in European adult population is estimated to be between 4-10%. At our Clinic of Obesity, the presence of nodules in the thyroid gland of obese patients is often found, incidentally, for this reason, we decide to investigate the prevalence of this pathology in obese patients and to quatify the number of times in which the presence of nodules had not been previously diagnosed.

METHODS

3248 obese patients were examined during in the last six years (1991-1996); of these patients 747 were affected by obesity and thyropathy; of these 747 we took into consideration only those with a cold single nodule and correlated the presence of the nodule with BMI, sex and age.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of a cold single nodule in the obese patients was 31%, of which 83% has not been previously diagnosed. Of cold nodules 8% was represented by carcinoma. The carcinoma appeared more often in females than in males (3:1). The incidence of cold nodules was more frequent in adults and in mild-medium obesity.