Surgery of the thyroid gland

Records of 92 patients operated on for thyroid diseases were reviewed. There were four histologic groups: adenoma-56 (61%), thyrotoxicosis-22 (24%), cancer-10 (11%) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis-4 (4%). Among the cold nodules, 9% were malignant. Routine frozen section examination revealed three cases of cancer and three other cases were missed but were discovered on permanent section examination. The type of operations were lobectomy with or without isthmusectomy, subtotal thyroidectomy and modified radical neck dissection. Postoperative complications included two thyroid crises, two recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries, one laryngeal obstruction and hypothyroidism, and one wound infection. There was no surgical mortality.