CLINICO-PATHOLOGIC STUDY OF 261 SURGICAL CASES OF SO-CALLED “THYROIDITIS”*

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Abstract
In this study, 261 cases in which the diagnosis of thyroiditis was made were reviewed with regard to their clinical and pathologic features. This represented an incidence of 3.5 per cent of all thyroid operations (7,448) at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York over a 34-year period. These cases were distributed as shown in Table 1. Acute infectious or suppurative thyroiditis is rare and results from bacterial invasion of the thyroid from another septic focus in the body, usually by way of the blood stream. Pneumococci were isolated directly from the thyroid in 1 of our 2 cases, and this is said to be the most common causative agent (1). The disease is frequently associated with pre-existing goiter. Chronic specific thyroiditis is even more rare. In this series there was 1 case of syphilitic gumma of the thyroid and this responded well to chemotherapy. All cases that had been diagnosed as tuberculosis of the thyroid were reclassified as granulomatous thyroiditis and there were no cases of fungus infection or of parasitic invasion of the thyroid.

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