[Diagnosis of cancer of the thyroid gland]

The clinical diagnosis of carcinoma of the thyroid gland (CTG) is a difficult and responsible problem. The importance of cytologic and histologic methods of examination has grown, they determine the therapeutic tactics and the volume of the operative intervention. Clinical examination and operations were carried out on 484 patients with various diseases of the thyroid. The examination included inspection of the thyroid gland, radioisotope scanning, radiological examination of the neck, mediastinum and lungs, ultrasonic study, and aspiration biopsy with further cytologic study of the material. Among the patients treated by surgery 58 (11.9%), 39 females and 19 males (2:1), were found to have CTG. Intraoperative emergency cytologic and histologic study was conducted in 30 patients. Differentiated CTG was revealed in all cases. Among the patients who were operated on 5 died from CTG in a 10-year follow-up period. The importance of aspiration biopsy, under conditions of an outpatient clinic in particular, is emphasized. The results of operative treatment of differentiated CTG show that early diagnosis and appropriate surgical intervention are conducive to a favourable prognosis in relation to the patients survival period.