Objective: The most frequently observed endocrine cancer is thyroid malignity. It constitutes only one percent of all malignities. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence of thyroid cancer in cases with nodular goiter who undrewent thyroidectomy performed by a single surgeon in Bitlis province (Turkey), an endemic goiter region.
Materials and Methods: Pathology reports with surgery indication of 940 patients, who underwent thyroidectomy administered by the same surgeon for nodular goiter at Bitlis State Hospital between September 2008 and March 2015, were studied retrospectively. Postoperative histopathologic examinations were evaluated.
Results: Female and male counts of our 940 patients were 827 (88%) and 113 (12%), respectively. The proportion of female to male patients was 7,3/1. 30 of 940 patients (3,2%) underwent one part total and the other part near total thyroidectomy and 910 patients (96,8%) underwent total thyroidectomy. Histopathological examination showed that 825 (87,7%) cases had nodular hyperplasia, 46 (4,9%) cases had lymphocytic thyroiditis, and 69 (7,3%) cases had thyroid tumors. 69 tumors in 18 (26%) cases were benign; 51 (74%) cases were malign. In terms of cancer type, 45 (4,7%) cases had papillary carcinoma, 5 (0,5%) cases had follicular carcinoma, and 1 (0,1%) case had medullary carcinoma.
Conclusion: In some cases in endemic goiter regions, received exogenous iodine can affect cytological results and cause changes in thyroid tissue morphology. The observed incidence of thyroid cancer was 5,4% in the cases who underwent thyroidectomy due to nodular goiter in Bitlis province; and papillary thyroid carcinoma was the most observed cancer type.
Key words: Endemic Nodular Goiter; Thyroidectomy; Thyroid Carcinoma.
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