Ninety-one patients with thyroid nodules, admitted and operated at the department of general surgery, St. Benedict Hospital, for 6 years from Jan. 1978 to Dec. 1983 were analysed. The results were summarized as follows.
1) Among the total 91 cases, 79 cases (86.8%) were benign and 12 cases (13.2%), malignant.
2) Sex distribution revealed preponderance of female to male with the ratio of 14 : 1.
3) Benign nodules were prevalent in the third decade (34.2%), as contrast to the malignant nodules prevalent in the fourth decade (33.3%).
4) The duration of illness of one month was most common in 21.9% of total cases.
5) The most common symptoms and signs were palpable mass in the anterior neck (all cases), palpitation, easy fatiguability and persiration.
6) The location of the nodules was 43.9% in right lobe, 39.6% in left lobe and 16.5% in both lobes.
7) The ^131I uptake tests were within normal limit in 87.9%, below normal in 6.6% and above normal in 5%. Radioactive iodine scannings revealed cold nodules in 85 cases, of which 11 cases (12.9%) were malignant.
8) Histopathologic clasifications of benign diseases in decreasing order of frequency were adenoma, 58 cases (77.2%); nodular goiter, 10 cases (12.6%); cyst, 4 cases (5.1%); Hashimoto´s thyroiditis, 3 cases (3.8%); and hyperthyroidism, lcase (1.3%). Histopathologic classifications of malignant diseases were papillary adenocarcinoma, 6 cases (50%); follicular adenocarcinoma, 3 cases (25%); Mixed type, 2 cases (16.7%) and undifferentiated type, 1 case (8.3%).
9) The most commonly performed operative procedure was unilateral lobectomy (69.6%).
10) Postoperative complications were noted in 7 cases (7.7%), including 3 cases of transient hoarseness, 2 cases of wound infection, 1 case of mild bleeding and 1 case of seroma.
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