["Cold" thyroid nodules (author's transl)]

Out of 541 thyroid operations during the past 6 years 419 were selected on the basis of standardised histology and evaluated statistically. 31 carcinomas were found. In 246 cases there was a cold nodule in the scintigram and in 88 cases an inhomogenous distribution of activity. Both of them clearly influenced the indication for operation. There were 24 carcinomas among the cold nodules and 4 among the inhomogeneous activity distributions. 64.5% were follicular, 29% papillary and 3.2% mixed; thus differentiated carcinomas outnumbered the other forms. 26 patients with carcinoma had a bilateral thyroidectomy, of these 5 had carcinomatous involvement of both thyroid lobes.