Of 1556 patients, admitted and operated for thyroid diseases at Yonsei Medical Center during period from Jan. 1970 to Dec. 1982, 35 patients with Hashimoto´s thyroiditis confirmed by pathologic examination, were analyzed and the results were as follows.
1) Hashimoto´s thyroiditis occupied 2.2% of all thyroidectomies for thyroid disorders.
2) All 35 cases of Hashimoto´s thyroiditis occurred in females, commonly in between third and sixth decades, with an average age of 40.1 years.
3) Of 35 cases, 10 (28.5%)were diffuse goiter and 25 (71.5%) were nodular goiter. 4 cases of diffuse goiters presented hyperthyroidism clinically.
4) The indications for operation were; presence of a mass to be differentiated from benign or malignant tumors in 25 nodular goiter; in 10 cases of diffuse goiters 2 suspected malignancies, 4 local pressure symptoms or cosmetic problem due to thyromegaly and 4 hyperthyroid-ism.
5) Associated thyroid diseases were 7 follicular adenomas (20%), 2 papillary carcinomas (5.6%) and 1 Graves´ disease (2.8%). According to our results and reviews of the articles, Hashimoto´s thyroiditis is primarily medical disease. However, if it shows a suspected malignancy, pressure symptoms and cosmetic problem surgical treatment should be considered.
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