[Thyroid surgery performed at a head and neck oncologic department]

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Oncology
• Surgical Pathology

Context:

• Retrospective analysis of 778 thyroid disease patients treated between 1977 and 1986.
• Focus on differentiating benign (678 cases) versus malignant (100 cases) thyroid conditions.
• Common referral reason: thyroid lump with suspected malignancy.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of preoperative investigations for thyroid diseases.
• To analyze patient demographics and referral patterns for thyroid conditions.
• To highlight surgical considerations, including recurrent nerve preservation and complication management.

Summary:

• Benign thyroid conditions showed a 5:1 female-to-male ratio, while malignant conditions had a 1.5:1 ratio.
• Technetium-scintigraphy and fine-needle aspiration were routinely used preoperatively.
• Preoperative investigations provided guidance but lacked definitive diagnostic certainty for malignancy.

Impact:

• Informs clinical practice regarding the limitations of preoperative diagnostic tools for thyroid nodules.
• Emphasizes the importance of surgical technique in minimizing complications like recurrent laryngeal nerve paresis.
• Contributes to understanding the epidemiology and presentation of thyroid diseases over a decade.