갑상선 결절 환자에서 혈청 갑상선자극호르몬 수치와 고분화 갑상선암과의 연관성에 관한 분석

Preoperative Thyroid-stimulating Hormone Levels as a Predictor of Thyroid Carcinoma

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in predicting malignancy-associated differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and benign thyroid nodules. Methods: Between January 2005 and December 2007, 346 patients underwent thyroid surgery at one hospital. Their records were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Sixty-nine percent (237 of 346) of the patients had DTC. The mean preoperative TSH level was higher than in the malignant group (5 uIU/ml vs 0.4 uIU/ml). The rate of malignancy was the 71% in patients with TSH levels ＞5 uIU/ml. The TSH level of DTC with metastasis of the lymph node was higher than that with non-metastasis (3.08 uIU/ml vs 2.09 uIU/ml, P＜0.01) Conclusion: The likelihood of DTC increases with higher serum TSH concentration. Serum TSH level might be useful in predicting malignant nodular thyroid lesion. (Korean J Endocrine Surg 2010;10:220-223)