ABSTRACT
To determine the frequency and profile of carcinoma in multi-nodular goiter and solitary thyroid nodule. Case series. Surgical Unit-I, Ward-3 of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, from January 1999 to January 2009. Cases with solitary thyroid nodules and multi-nodular goiter were included. Patients under 12 years of age, cystic benign lesion in solitary thyroid nodules or those multi-nodular goiters, which were not causing pressure symptoms, cosmetic problems or sign of malignancy were excluded. In solitary thyroid nodule, hemithyroidectomy was done and if histopathology examination revealed carcinoma thyroid then completion thyroidectomyw as done. In multi-nodular goiter sub-total thyroidectomy done. Results were described as frequency percentages and mean. Out of 379 patients of multi-nodular goiter only one patient was found to be papillary carcinoma [0.25%]. In 220 patients of solitary thyroid nodules, 93 patients were diagnosed as carcinoma of thyroid [42.27%]. Others diagnosed in solitary thyrid nodule were thyroid adenoma, colloid goiter, thyroiditis and multi-nodular goiter. The frequency of papillary carcinoma in 65.95% occurring females of 12-30 years of age and being multifocal in 6.45% follicular carcinoma in 23.49%, medullary carcinoma in 7.44%, analplastic carcinoma in 2.12% and lymphoma in 1.01%. Female were predominantly involved and papillary carcinoma was common in 12-30 years of age [7.63%] and follicular was common in 30-40 years of age [68.18%. 6.45% of papillary carcinoma was found to be multifocal in nature. Frequency of carcinoma of thyroid is very high in solitary thyroid nodule [42.27%], but markedly low in multi-nodular goiter. Papillary carcinoma is the most common variety, most of in younger female