| Popis: |
Clinical and isotopic characteristics of 138 patients with true thyroid adenoma are presented and analysed. Fifteen patients were hyperthyroid, 24 presented with borderline hyperthyroidism, and the remainder were euthyroid. Isotopically 20 adenoma were hyperfunctioning, 31 functioning, and 57 either hypo- or nonfunctioning. Isotopic status was not determined in the remaining 30. Evidence is produced to show the value of a post-T3 suppression, 131I uptake in the evaluation of clinical status in borderline hyperthyroid patients with true thyroid adenoma. Approximately half such patients in this series were judged to be hyperthyroid in fact. Females predominated over males in a ratio of 6:1. The age range was from 15 to 69, with a maximum incidence in the 35 to 65 age-groups. The percentage incidence by decades in active adenoma (hyperfunctioning and functioning) tended to lag behind that for inactive adenoma (hypo- and non-functioning) by about a decade, suggesting a tendency for inactive adenoma to become active with the passage of time. The pathological nature of a consecutive series of 183 patients with single nodules is presented and analysed. An adenoma was found in 125, non-toxic nodular hyperplasia in 19. The nature was not determined in 32, leaving only seven due to other causes. The pathological conditions found in a consecutive series of 438 patients with goitre are presented and analysed. Two hundred and thirty-five patients were suffering from hyperthyroidism or had an active adenoma; it is estimated that the incidence of hyperthyroid patients with adenoma was around 8 per cent of all hyperthyroid patients. One hundred and ninety-three patients presented with inactive adenoma or other non-toxic goitres. Adenoma accounted for 27 per cent. The literature is reviewed and the clinical characteristics and problems of diagnosis and management of patients with true thyroid adenoma are discussed. |
