title: Thyroid size and goitre frequency in hyperthyroidism.
abstract: Thyroid function, the clinical occurrence of goitre and thyroid gland volume, ultrasonically determined, were investigated in 310 consecutive untreated patients with hyperthyroidism. Of 173 patients with Graves' disease (39%), 67 had no goitre, while 53 patients (31%) had a normal thyroid volume. Twenty-three of 91 patients with multinodular glands (25%) had no goitre and ten patients (11%) had a normal thyroid volume. Of 46 patients with solitary autonomous nodules (7%), three had no goitre while six (13%) had a normal thyroid volume. Out of all the hyperthyroid patients (30%), 93 had no clinically detectable goitre, and 69 (22%) had a normal thyroid volume. The lack of a goitre in a large portion of patients with hyperthyroidism could be responsible for delayed diagnosis and subsequent treatment of these patients.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D013963:Thyroid Hormones