[Characteristics and surgical treatment of nodular goiter in middle-aged and aged patients]

Four hundred and two elderly and senile patients with nodular goiter were operated on. In most of them, hypothyrosis (decreased triiodothyronine level and increased thyrotropic hormone content in the blood) was revealed; in all--concomitant diseases (2.9 per a patient) and immunologic disorders; in 47%--cervico-retrosternal location of a goiter. In 65.2% of goiter preparations, the degenerative-sclerotic changes were found, in 33%--lymphoid infiltration of stroma, in 18.7%--malignant growth. Operation is the most effective method of treating elderly and senile patients with nodular goiter. It should be of little trauma relative to normal parenchyma.