Thyroid malignancy in two general hospitals in Riyadh

ABSTRACT

An analysis of 380 patients from Riyadh treated surgically for goiter showed thyroid malignancy in 81 patients [21%]. Of these malignancies 92.6% were differentiated in type with a predominance of the papillary variety. The occurrence of thyroid malignancy was equal in Saudi females with single or multi-nodular goiter [22%] but seems to be high in the male Saudi presenting clinically as multi-nodular goiter [50%]. The high frequency of unsuspected carcinoma in goiters may warrant early thyroidectomy in the Saudi population