[The results after an organ-preserving operation and total thyroidectomy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma]

A total of 196 patients with differentiated thyroid gland carcinoma are operated over the period 1980 through 1994, and followed up over periods ranging from 1 to 14 years after the operation. Surgical treatment consists in total thyroidectomy in 39.8 per cent of the cases, and organ salvaging operation--in 60.2 per cent. In 124 instances the histological diagnosis is papillary carcinoma, and in 72--follicular carcinoma. Local relapses and lethality are higher in patients with total thyroidectomy--6.4 per cent local recurrences and 3.8 per cent lethality, whereas in the group of organ-salvaging operations--1.6 and 0.9 per cent, respectively. Analysis of the operative interventions according to risk group, stage of disease and histopathological findings shows that there is no significant difference in lethality, but there is a higher rate of relapses among patients treated with total thyroidectomy.