Incidence of Malignancy in Solitary Thyroid Nodule, Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Presence of Thyroid nodule in a society depends on many factors: - age, sex, diet, iodine deficiency, environmental and therapeutic radiation exposure. they are representing a multitude of thyroid diseases. Aim of the study: - Identifying incidence of malignancy in single thyroid nodule. Patients and Method: - 70 patients (55 females & 15males), (mean age of 38.10 years S.D +/- 11.90) with solitary thyroid nodule (size 1cm and more) by physical examination or ultra-sound study were included in this prospective study at the specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes and Alkarama teaching hospital in Baghdad city from May 2020 to September 2024. Informed consent from all patients was taken. All patient’s demographic features (age, sex, and residency), medical history, physical examination and hormonal assessment with fine needle aspirate cytology were recorded. All the patients had thyroidectomy under general anesthesia by same surgical team and the specimens fixed in formalin and send for Histopathological assessment. Results: - Females are more affected by nodule (78.57%) than males with ratio of 3.66 /1 (55 females &15 males).  81.42% of the patients presented as mass in the neck, 35.71% of the patients have nodule for less than one year, 50% of the patients have the nodule in the right lobe and 48.57% the nodule located in the left lobe. Fine needle aspiration was positive in 82.85% and non-conclusive in 10%. The histopathology of the nodules was 52.85% as colloid hyper plastic, 7.14% as thyroiditis, 18.57% as benign thyroid adenoma and 20% was malignant thyroid nodule. Conclusion: - 20% of single thyroid nodule is of malignant origin.