[Small thyroid cancer]

Thyroid carcinoma was detected in 1132 of 32500 patients undergoing surgery because of goiter. Small thyroid carcinoma (STC) was found in 245 patients (21.6%) and is divided into the following subgroups: 1) local (focal) microcarcinoma-a focus of a pronounced proliferation, dysplasia and fibrosis up to 1 mm in diameter; 2) invasive dwarf carcinoma of 5 to 15 mm in diameter which is not detected by clinical and instrumental methods; 3) intermediate STC, 1 to 5 mm in diameter. STC had a papillary-follicular structure in 88%, the rest were of a oncocytic and parafollicular structure.