[Recent findings on the etiopathogenesis of multinodular goiter. I. Immunoglobulin stimulation of thyroid growth]

This present review of the literature deals with the possible autoimmune genesis of the multinodular goiter. Some investigators have identified an immunoglobulin stimulating specifically the growth of the thyroid gland (TGI) in the sera of patients affected with sporadic goiter, quite different from TSI, involved in Graves' disease. Other authors report divergent results; however there are many methological differences in these studies that give rise to controversies about the evaluation of the data. At present, these studies have failed to demonstrate consistently an autoimmune genesis of multinodular goiter.