[Difficulties in diagnosis and surgical treatment of subacute and chronic thyroiditis]

Out of a total number of 875 cases of thyroid affections of various origins, hospitalized in the two surgical clinics of Tîrgu-Mureş, the authors selected 16 cases of subacute and chronic thyroiditis. They indicate the difficulties encountered in establishing the diagnosis before surgery, a fact that determined wide excisions in extremely difficult local conditions. They suggest, as a first therapeutic attitude, a conservative treatment with steroid drugs, antibiotics and roentgentherapy (when necessary), and, if such treatments fail, or when malignancies are suspected, as well as compression phenomena have developed, surgical treatment preceded by an extemporaneous anatomo-pathological examination. When thyroiditis is diagnosed surgery should be limited to decompressing incisions.