[Therapy of suspicious fine needle puncture from nodular struma with reference to thyroid function and morphology]

A suspicious preoperative cytology (= class "III") may be the result of various disorders of the thyroid presenting with cell atypia. For example hyperthyroidism or thyroiditis can show a cytological aspect, mimicing a differentiated carcinoma. Our study, comprising 231 patients with cytology "III" revealed a low malignancy rate (1%) in cases of concurrent hyperthyroidism or thyreoiditis. In contrast, 26% of the patients presenting with euthyroid nodular goiter and cytology "III" had a malignant histology such patients should be treated by primary lobectomy.