Certain peculiarities of parenchymal-stromal correlations in the thyroid gland with nodular forms of goiter with its rucurrent and non-recurrent course
Authors: N. P. Tkachuk  , I. S. Davydenko  
Published: December 2021

In spite of a considerable efficacy of conservative treatment of goiter, surgery remains the main method of treatment of such patients. Though, on the one hand, total thyroidectomy inevitably results in the development of postsurgical hypothyroidism, on the other hand – in case organ-saving surgery is performed the risk of postsurgical relapse arises. Modern morphological methods are directed to detection of oncological risk of nodular formations, and recommendations concerning an adequate volume of surgery taking into account probability of relapse are practically lacking. Therefore, the objective of the study was finding criteria of a relapsing risk by means of investigation of morphological peculiarities of the parenchymal-stromal correlations in the thyroid gland with recurrent nodular and primary nodular (multinodular) goiter without signs of functional disorders. In the course of the research according to the examined correlation parameters of the parenchyma and stroma various forms of nodular goiter were found to differ from the thyroid tissue without pathological changes by a number of parameters. In particular, specific weight of the parenchyma on an average increases reliably in the tissue of nodular goiter with its various variants in comparison with the thyroid gland without pathological changes. Together with the increase of the parenchymal specific weight in nodular goiter the amount of colloid on an average decreases, and a specific dependence on the kind of goiter is observed – colloid volume decreases from goiter with slow growth to goiter with quick growth, and it is the smallest with goiter relapse. Quantitative analysis of the goiter tissue stromal component demonstrates a considerable increase of its specific volume in comparison with normal thyroid tissue. Evaluation of changes of the morphometric parameters in the thyroid follicles found that in case of nodular goiter with slow growth the percentage of follicles with colloid is close to 100%. On an average it does not differ from that of the normal thyroid tissue. At the same time, in case of nodular goiter with quick growth the percentage of follicles with colloid decreases sharply, and in case of relapse it appears to be still less than that in nodular goiter with quick growth. Besides, with nodular goiter the diameter of follicles on an average increases in comparison with the normal thyroid tissue. In a number of cases it can be estimated as macrofollicular goiter. At the same time, the diameter of follicles is smaller in nodular goiter with quick growth. It is still less in case of goiter relapse. The size of follicles becomes sharply diverse in case of nodular goiter with slow growth, but it decreases in case of nodular goiter with quick growth and relapse. Consequently, recurrent nodular goiter is mostly similar to that of primary nodular goiter with a quick growth, though certain differences between them exist. The peculiarities found enable to suggest that nodular goiter with a quick growth possesses more chances for relapse.