Surgical treatment of multinodular goiter in young patients.

The objectives of this study were to analyse the results of surgical treatment of multinodular goiter (MG) in a population with under 30 yr of age; (2) to determine the incidence and evolution of related thyroid carcinomas; and (3) to evaluate the rate of relapse. Eighty-one patients operated for MG and under 30 yr of age were analyzed. The control group used consisted of 510 patients between 30 and 60 yr of age, operated on for MG. Cervical surgery for thyroidectomy was performed in all patients. The main outcome measures were postoperative morbidity and mortality; related thyroid carcinoma (number, type and evolution); remission of symptoms; and relapse of goiter. There were neither cases of hypoparathyroidism nor definitive recurrent lesions. In patients with symptoms, there was total remission of these. Although more than half were treated on suspicion of malignancy, only 9% were related to a carcinoma and most were papillary microcarcinomas. The average follow-up was 124 +/- 68 mo. Of the 48 patients with partial surgery, 40% had relapse (n=19). After 5 yr, the rates of relapse were 11% for the Dunhill technique, 20% for bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy, 17% for hemithyroidectomy, and 50% for unilateral subtotal hemithyroidectomy. These rates increased by 25%, 50%, 44%, and 60% respectively, after 10 yr, and up to 33%, 50%, 62%, and 70% after 15 yr; 89% of the cases of relapse were operated on-there were two hypoparathyroidisms and two recurrent lesions, one of the cases of recurrent lesion becoming definitive. MG in young people is mainly treated because of the suspicion of malignancy, although this occurs in less than 10% of cases. Surgery can be carried out with a low rate of morbidity, although the results are only definitive with total thyroidectomy, with a high level of relapse when partial techniques are used given that these are patients with long life expectancy.