Risk of Malignancy in Hashimoto Thyroiditis

Question

Is the clinical follow up by the family doctor of patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis sufficient, or should the patients be monitored with regular specialist visits, including imaging because of possibly increased risk of malignancy?

Answer

Increased risk of malignancy in Hashimoto thyroiditis is controversial. There are conflicting results in the published studies. Patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis have often thyroid nodules, but it is not known whether they have more frequently thyroid cancer than the general population.

MALT lymphoma of the thyroid gland is extremely rare and can be diagnosed clinically better than by ultrasound.

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(State: 18.03.2013)