Objective To investigate the association between preoperative serum TSH concentration and thyroid carcinoma in patients with nodular goiter.Methods Data of 632 patients with nodular goiter from January 2004 to December 2010 were analyzed retrospectively.Results Preoperative serum TSH in nodular goiter with thyroid carcinoma was higher than that without thyroid carcinoma，which was （2.10±1.38）mU/L and （1.51±0.98）mU/L，respectively （P＜0.000 1）.The risk of malignancy increased as serum level of TSH rose in nodular goiter patients （P=0.023 5），the ratios were 9.91% （0.3-0.9mU/L），12.37% （0.9-1.7mU/L）， 20.09% （1.7-4.8mU/L），and 27.27%（＞4.8mU/L）.The TSH level of stageⅢ-Ⅳ patients higher than that stageⅠ-Ⅱ patients （P=0.030 6）.The diameter of tumor ＞4 cm had highest mean TSH level， and which ≤ 2cm had lowest mean TSH level（P=0.018 6）. Conclusion Preoperative serum TSH level perhaps is a risk predictor for nodular goiter with thyroid carcinoma.
Objective To evaluate the impact of total thyroidectomy on health-related quality of life （HRQOL） in patients with nodular goiter. Methods The patients who underwent total thyroidectomy from Jan. 2009 to Dec. 2011 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed with regard to the quality of life （total thyroidectomy group）. The patients with similar demographic features who underwent hemithyroidectomy during the same period were matched as control （hemi-thyroidectomy group）. The validated HRQOL instrument， which was the Euro quality of life-5D （EQ-5D）， was applied to measure the HRQOL. Comparison of HRQOL in patients of 2 groups was performed， meanwhile， the data of total thyroidectomy group was compared with data of normal population who were obtained from The Forth National Health Survey. Results There were 26 and 28 valid questionnaires returned for the total thyroidectomy group and hemithyroi-dectomy group respectively. The demographic features of patients in 2 groups were comparable. No significant variancecould be found between the 2 groups that there were no significant differences on the mobility， self-care， usual activities，pain/discomfort， anxiety/depression， and visual analogous scales （P＞0.05）. Furthermore， no significant differences in HRQOL were found in EQ-5D questionnaire compared with normal population derived from The Forth National Health Survey （P＞0.05）， except that there were more patients complained of moderate and severe pain/discomfort in the total thyroidectomy group 〔30.8% （8/26） vs.9.2% （16 330/177 501）， P＜0.01〕. Conclusion Total thyroidectomy appears to have little impact on the quality of life in the patients with nodular goiter.
ObjectiveTo investigate the succession model for hyperthyroidism and thyroid carcinoma secondary to nodular goiter in iodine deficiency area. MethodsA total of 216 specimens of goiter patients from iodine deficiency area were collected in the former 3rd hospital of Norman Bethune Medical College from January 1980 to December 1994. Twentyfour heteroploid samples were selected by the method of Hedley with Flow cytometry (FCM) analysis. Paraffin-embedded tissues from the same position were used to perform immunohistochemical staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), laminin (LN), factor Ⅷ related antigen (FⅧ-RAg), and p53. The proliferative activity, stroma change, and angiogenesis were observed. ResultsPCNA label index (PCNA-LI) and proliferation index (PI) consistent in 24 heteroploid samples with PCNA staining were significantly higher value. PCNA positive cells were mainly distributed over nonfollicular parenchymatous structures, small follicles, and multilayered structures with large bubbly follicles. Destroyed basement membrane and necrosis were found by LN staining in PCNA positive position with vigorous reproductive capacity. Combining FⅧ-RAg staining with LN staining, interstitial proliferation and angiogenesis were obvious in follicular epithelial cells with vigorous reproductive capacity, providing nutrition and superior environment for them. ConclusionsThe reproduction of thyroid follicular epithelial cells, interstitial proliferation, and angiogenesis are all involved in tuberosis and hyperthyroidism, forming precancerous lesion, which suggest the succession model of goiter in iodine deficiency area.