ABSTRACT
Objective To improve the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of synchronous bilateral thyroid carcinoma(SBTC). Methods The diagnosis and treatment of 11 patients with SBTC were analysed. Results Of them, 9 patients were well differentiated cancer, 1 medullary cancer, 1undifferentiated cancer. The diagnosis was comfirmed by needle aspiration biopsy(NAB) in 2 cases preoperatively, by frozen section in 4 cases intraoperatively. Among the 11 patients, total thyroidectomy was performed on 4 patients, near total thyroidectomy on 7 patients; functional neck dissection(FND) on 7 patients. Ten patients were followed up for 1～2 years (average 4 years and 9 months), only 1 patient died; 9 patients were alive and 8 were free of cancer. Conclusions The diagnosis of SBTC is difficult before operation, so for suspicions patient of SBTC, preoperative NAB or intraoperative frozen section should be done to make the diagnosis. The choice of surgery for SBTC is near total thyroidectomy. FND should be done, if the patient has indication of FND, but a preventing FND is not advocated.