[The differential diagnosis of nodular formations of the thyroid].

Differential-diagnostic potentialities are considered of physical, instrumental, morphological and laboratory methods of investigation in nodular formations in the thyroid gland. Of first importance in the differential diagnosis are clinical methods that permit making an accurate diagnosis in 78% of cases; combined use of these methods with small-needle puncture biopsy, ultrasonic investigation increase the probability for the diagnosis to be correct up to 92%. Intraoperative macroscopic and rapid histological diagnosis appeared to be even more effective (95 to 97%).