Effect of Post-Operative Thyroid Hormone Therapy on the Recurrence of Benign Thyroid Nodules. A Study in Thai Patients
CHATRI BANCHUIN, M.D., F.R.C.S. Ed., F.R.C.S.T.*, SUKIT PANPIMARNMAS, M.D., F.R.C.S.T.*
Affiliation : *Department of Surgery, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Abstract
The efficacy of postoperative thyroid hormone treatment in prevention of recurrent
thyroid nodule is still controversial. In order to investigate this effect in Thai patients, a retro-
spective study was performed on files of 321 post-operative patients with benign thyroid nodules,
who were either on thyroid hormone treatment or not after surgery, and were followed-up for at
least l year. The longest follow-up period was 15 years after surgery. The recurrence of nodules
was determined by palpation. It was found that the recurrent rate in patients with adenoma
who did not receive post-operative thyroid hormone treatment was 20 per cent (16/82 cases)
while there was no recurrence at all (0/25 cases) in the treatment group (p<0.05). The recurrent
rate was 22 per cent (311141 cases) in patients with nodular goitre who did not receive post-
operative thyroid hormone treatment and 7 per cent (5173 cases) in those with treatment (p Keywords :
