[Investigation and treatment of solitary thyroid gland nodules by Danish endocrinologists. A questionnaire study]

In order to evaluate the attitude among Danish specialists in endocrinology towards the management of the solitary thyroid nodule a questionnaire study, based on a case report of a 42-year old woman with a solitary 2 x 3 cm thyroid nodule and absence of clinical suspicion of malignancy, was performed. Routine in vitro tests included serum TSH in all and FT4 and total T4 in more than half of the respondents. 99mTc scintigraphy and ultrasonography (US) were included by nearly 100% of the clinicians and additional fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was suggested by 90%. Regardless of a benign cytology, surgery was preferred by 66% and follow-up by the most of the remaining, while L-T4 therapy was suggested by only 2%. In case of clinical suspicion cytology was disregarded by most and surgery was preferred by 90% of the clinicians. The survey illustrates that both scintigraphy and US as well as FNA are used routinely, and that surgery is regarded as first choice of treatment by most Danish clinicians.