Occult cancer after thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disorders. Is total thyroidectomy justified based on these grounds?

Abstract

Background: It is well known that thyroid nodules are common among the general population. Despite the fact that only 4-8% are clinically detectable, a higher percentage ranging between 13-67% are identified with ultrasonography. Many studies have shown that malignancy can be detected in 5% of these nodules irrespective of their size. Nowadays, total thyroidectomy seems to be the most appropriate operation, even for benign thyroid diseases. We conducted this prospective study in order to assess the true incidence of occult thyroid cancer in benign thyroid disease specimens and explore any associated factors. Finally, we wanted to appraise whether total thyroidectomy is indeed justified based on these grounds.