[Functional evaluation of cystic thyroid nodules]. / Valutazione funzionale dei noduli tiroidei cistici.

7 patients (age between 22 and 52 years, mean 38.2 +/- 10.6 SD) with cystic nodules have been subjected to the same diagnostic screening (scintiscanning and echography, needle aspiration); in every subject hormonal pattern has been studied at the cyst and periphery level. The Authors found very high TG levels in the cyst's fluid, perhaps due to an increased sensitiviness to the thyrotropic hormone, and an rT3/T4 increased at periphery level, probably because an enhancement of mechanisms connected to the reuptake of iodine. These reports outline the great importance in the induction and development of cystic nodules of changes related to the enzymatic steps of iodination and coupling.

[Intraoperative functional study of unilateral cold thyroid nodules]. / Studio funzionale intraoperatorio dei noduli tiroidei freddi unilaterali.

The authors studied 7 patients (age between 22 and 52 years, mean 40.2 +/- 6.55 S.D.) with single or multiple solid nodules, localized in the same thyroid lobe. All subjects performed scintiscanning and echography for evaluating the nature of nodules. During the thyroidectomy the hormonal pattern has been studied in the venous blood of both lobes (inferior thyroid and jugular veins, homo and heterolateral). The authors found a significant decrease of T3 and T4 values with increased T3/T4 ratio at the nodular level. This report could be related to an hypothetical alteration of iodination mechanisms, maybe due to an intrinsic defect of oxidative mitochondrial systems.