title: Ultrasonographic surveillance after surgery for euthyroid goitre in patients treated or not with thyroxine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of postoperative treatment with I-thyroxine in patients operated on for euthyroid goitre after precise definition of extent of goitre disease preoperatively and postoperatively by ultrasound.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study in a selected population.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  53 patients operated on from 1984 to 1994 for euthyroid goitre.
  
  
  METHODS
  13 patients who had contralateral disease had lobectomy and contralateral enucleation and were treated postoperatively with suppressive doses of thyroxine. 22 patients underwent lobectomy with no medication. 18 patients underwent subtotal thyroidectomy followed by thyroxine in substitution doses. All patients had regular clinical assessments and ultrasound examination for evidence of recurrent disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the incidence of relapses between those who had lobectomy and those who had lobectomy plus enucleation (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no significant evidence that postoperative suppressive treatment had any effect on recurrence of goitre. Subtotal thyroidectomy gave the lowest recurrence rate (p = 0.14).
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piraneo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vitri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galimberti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salvaggio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bastagli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D013974:Thyroxine