To the management of the solitary thyroid nodule

Excisional biopsy with peroperative frozen section and later paraffin section examination was performed in 107 consecutive cases of solitary thyroid nodules. Frozen section gave a correct diagnosis in 99 cases (92%). A false benign diagnosis was made in 6 cases, one was inconclusive and one was false malignant (Hürthle cell tumor). Technetium scintigraphy was of no definite diagnostic value. Malignancy was found in 25 cases (23%) in which the whole gland was removed. Multicentric bilateral lobe involvement was encountered in 7 patients. Lack of reliable preoperative diagnostic methods makes liberal excisional biopsy of all solitary thyroid nodules advisable.