Thyroid malignancy in Multinodular goiter; incidence, a retrospective study in southern Punjab

ABSTRACT

To assess the incidence of malignancy in patients with Multinodular goiter in southern Punjab. A retrospective study. Department of General Surgery, Sheikh Zayed Medical College and Hospital Rahim Yar Khan, from April 2010 to May 2012. All patients were presented in OPD with history of Multinodular goiter on clinical examination or USG neck. FNAC of any dominant nodule or suspicious nodule on USG neck was performed. All patients were operated and total thyroidectomies were done in all patients irrespective of the age. We sent all specimens for histopathological examination and reports were collected from department. The whole information collected was entered in a pre designed proforma. During 2 years period, total 141 patients of thyroid disease were seen in OPD out of which 98 patients have Multinodular goiter. Histopathology of these patients showed 10 malignancies and 88 benign. Most of the patients that turned out to be malignant belong to 41-50 years age group. 7 patients were female and 3 were male. Among the malignancies 50% were papillary, 30% were follicular, and 10% were anaplastic carcinoma and lymphomas each. Multinodular goiter [MNG] is the commonest indication of thyroidectomy in iodine deficient areas of Pakistan. This study concludes that don't consider MNG as a benign disease anymore until proved otherwise