THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MULTIPLE INTRATHYROIDAL INVOLVEMENT IN PAPILLARY THYROID-CARCINOMA AND CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC THYROIDITIS

The relationship between multiple intrathyroidal involvement (MII) and chronic non-specific thyroiditis (CT) was investigated in 69 papillar y thyroid carcinoma patients who received a subtotal or total thyroide ctomy. The overall incidence of MII in patients with CT and the incide nce of MII in the affected lobe of the patients with CT were significa ntly higher than that without CT (P = 0.0012 and 0.0425, respectively) . Because Hashimoto's thyroiditis is believed not to carry the increas ed risk of associated thyroid malignancy, the high incidence of Mil in the affected lobe in the case with CT is postulated to be caused by i ntraglandular metastases. 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland L td.