Korean J Endocr Surg.  2010 Dec;10(4):220-223. 10.16956/kjes.2010.10.4.220.

Preoperative Thyroid-stimulating Hormone Levels as a Predictor of Thyroid Carcinoma

• Joung SY
• Kim HY
• Ryu WS
• Woo SU
• Son GS
• Lee JB
• Bae JW

• KMID: 2375472
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.16956/kjes.2010.10.4.220

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study investigated the effects of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in predicting malignancy-associated differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and benign thyroid nodules.
METHODS
Between January 2005 and December 2007, 346 patients underwent thyroid surgery at one hospital. Their records were retrospectively reviewed.
RESULTS
Sixty-nine percent (237 of 346) of the patients had DTC. The mean preoperative TSH level was higher than in the malignant group (5 uIU/ml vs 0.4 uIU/ml). The rate of malignancy was the 71% in patients with TSH levels >5 uIU/ml. The TSH level of DTC with metastasis of the lymph node was higher than that with non-metastasis (3.08 uIU/ml vs 2.09 uIU/ml, P<0.01)
CONCLUSION
The likelihood of DTC increases with higher serum TSH concentration. Serum TSH level might be useful in predicting malignant nodular thyroid lesion.

Keyword

Thyroid carcinoma; Thyroid stimulating hormone; Differentiated thyroid cancer

MeSH Terms

Humans
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
Retrospective Studies
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms*
Thyroid Nodule
Thyrotropin*
Thyrotropin