A Clinical Analysis of Thyroid Nodules

Kang, Sung Ho; Sohn, Sung Kung; Kim, Jin Kuk; Jin, Jung Un; Hong, Suk Chan; Lee, Tae Ui

Abstract

The thyroid nodules are the most frequent encountered disorders of the endocrine system. A clinical study of 34 cases with thyroid nodules, which were treated by surgical excision and confirmed pathologically at the department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, Kon-Kuk University hospital, from January 1990 to July 1995, was conducted. This study was designed for early diagnosis and proper treatment of thyroid nodules through clinical analysis. The clinical analysis results were obtained as follows: 1) The sexual distribution showed the preponderance of female with 1:5.8. 2) The most prominent sign was palpable nodule on anterior neck. 3) The duration of illness within 3 months was most common(51.5%), and the size of thyroid nodules was parallel to the duration of illness. 4) Most nodules were unilateral in 29/34(85.2%), among them, right lobe in 47%, lower lobe in 38.2%. 5) The consistency of nodules was soft in 12 cases(31.5%) and most nodules were single in 26 cases(76.4%). 6) Fine needle aspiration biopsy showed consistent with surgical result in 13/19 cases(70%) at benign nodules and in 3/4 cases(75%) at malignant nodules. 7) The histopathologic classification of benign diseases in decreasing order of the frequency were adenomatous goiter, 17.28 cases(60.7%); follicular adenoma, 7/28 cases(25%); Graves' disease, 0 cases. The malignant diseases were papillary carcinoma, 6/6 cases(100%). 8) The frequent performed operative procedure was unilateral lobectomy 28/34(82.3%) in both benign and malignant disease. 9) The postoperative complication occured in 12/34 cases(35.2%) including 5 cases of mild dysphagia(14.7%) and 2 cases of transient hoarseness(5.8%) and 1 case of hypocalcemia(2.9%) and 1 case of ecchymosis(2.9%) in wound and were related to the extent of the surgical procedure.