[The malignant struma. Pathological anatomy and functional criteria]

Description of the pathological anatomy of thyroid cancer with classification into carcinomas, sarcomas and special forms of tumors. Concerning the carcinomas of the thyroid gland, the malignant papilloma (papillary carcinoma) and the medullary amyloid- and calcitonin-producing carcinoma deserve special consideration because of their small malignancy and therefore favourable prognosis. Also the proliferating struma Langhans does not come up to "real" carcinomas (organoid structure of the tumor tissue) concerning the growing speed. All other types of carcinomas, as well as sarcomas, are fast growing malignant tumors, which also place metastases early. The metastasizing struma-adenoma is not a malignant tumor in the sense of the term. In addition, it is necessary to refer to the existing difficulties in marking off clearly structurally sarcomatous tumors of the thyroid gland from carcinomas. Besides, one must emphasize, that thyreostatic substances, also ionizing rays (i.e. radioiodine) can produce considerable tissue-changes with cell polymorphia and that a considerable increase in the number of large-cell eosinophilic adenomas (oncocytomas, Hürthle-cell adenomas) exists. The sclerosizing microcarcinoma (Graham's tumor) is not a carcinoma in the sense of the term.