Latent and subclinical hypothyroidism anti-thyroid antibodies in patients with simple multinodular goitre prior to surgical intervention

The current study included 139 patients with simple nodular goiter with normal free T3 and free T4 studied prior to any surgical intervention. Thirty-three cases had raised serum TSH above the normal limit of 5 muU/ml, 16 of them had a raised TSH above 10 muU/ml reflecting a latent hypothyroid state. In all cases, the postoperative pathology report confirmed the presence of simple nodular goiter with the exception of six cases, in whom the histopathologic examination of the surgical samples confirmed the presence of thyroiditis. The autoimmune profile as well as antithyroid antibodies [antimicrosomal and antithyroglobulin antibodies] of theses patients were studied. In five cases, the antithyroid antibodies were positive