ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study investigated the effects of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in predicting malignancy-associated differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and benign thyroid nodules. METHODS: Between January 2005 and December 2007, 346 patients underwent thyroid surgery at one hospital. Their records were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent (237 of 346) of the patients had DTC. The mean preoperative TSH level was higher than in the malignant group (5 uIU/ml vs 0.4 uIU/ml). The rate of malignancy was the 71% in patients with TSH levels >5 uIU/ml. The TSH level of DTC with metastasis of the lymph node was higher than that with non-metastasis (3.08 uIU/ml vs 2.09 uIU/ml, P<0.01) CONCLUSION: The likelihood of DTC increases with higher serum TSH concentration. Serum TSH level might be useful in predicting malignant nodular thyroid lesion.