Diffuse Non-toxic Goitre.-Diffuse goitre should be treated by the administration of tap laevothyroxine, starting with o.1 mg. daily and increasing to tolerance, the ultimate dose being 0.3 to 0.5 mg. daily. This by raising the thyroxine content of the blood suppresses the secretion of thyrotrophin. For the maximal effect a year's treatment may be necessary, but if there is no sign of reduction during the first few months there is no point in continuing. If medical treatment fails the only reasons for removing a diffuse goitre are cosmetic and the development of pressure symptoms. Partial thyroidectomy is contraindicated for puberty goitre and for goiter arising during pregnancy, because both types may diminish in size spontaneously in due course. Partial thyroidectomy may be necessary during pregnancy on account of pressure symptoms, which could arise if the patient had a goiter before pregnancy; two or three drops of Lugol's solution should then be given daily to prevent goitre in the foetus. Substernal Goitre.-Surgery is always indicated.
Substernal Goitre.-Surgery is always indicated for substernal goitre in case subsequent enlargement either through its growth or haemorrhage into its substance causes serious pressure symptoms. It is of advantage to treat the condition with thyroxine for a month or two before the operation in an endeavour to reduce its size and so facilitate surgical procedures. Nodular Non-toxic Goitre.-It is unusual for nodular goitres to respond satisfactorily to medical treatment and long-standing nodular goitres never do. Large nodular goitres are removed for cosmetic reasons, to relieve pressure effects and, according to some authors, in case thyrotoxicosis subsequently arises. The question is: Should a single nodule in a gland or a small multinodular goitre be removed ? The answer depends on whether it is considered that the single nodule is malignant and that a multinodular goitre predisposes to malignancy. In the first place it is often impossible to say whether a single nodule is malignant. Increased uptake of radioactive iodine by the nodule provides strong evidence that it is innocent, since a malignant nodule does not trap iodine so well as normal thyroid tissue. Decrease or absence of uptake may or may not indicate malignancy. It seems reasonable to consider that if a single nodule has been present for some years, especially in a person past middle age, and is not increasing in size, it need not be removed. However, thyroidectomy should he performed if the patient states that during the previous months it has become larger and if the nodule is of recent origin. A nursing sister, aged 24, recently presented with a nodule of recent origin and on its removal it was found to be malignant. It seems that it is controversial whether nodular goitre predisposes to malignancy.' Lack of space forbids discussion of this subject here: suffice it to state that, according to Berard and Dunet,3 in 75-85% of cases of thyroid malignancy the condition develops in an old-standing simple goiter and, according to Wegelin,28 where goitre is endemic malignant tumours of the thyroid occur in greater numbers. In the author's opinion thyroidectomy should be performed in cases of multinodular goitre.