STUDIES ON TWO SPORADIC CRETINOUS BROTHERS WITH GOITER, TOGETHER WITH SOME REMARKS ON THE RELATION OF HYPERPLASIA TO NEOPLASIA

Abstract

Two cases of sporadic cretinism with goiter are presented in detail. The iodine content and the radio-iodine uptake of the goiters indicate they belong to the group of iodine-deficiency, thiocyanate or cabbage goiters. Pathologically, these goiters showed a variety of changes[long dash]fetal adenoma, papillary cyst adenoma, struma nodosa macro and micro folliculare and colloid tissue. In addition, the pathologic changes in the goiters of 2 other cretins are described, as well as the changes in the thyroids of patients with hyperthyroidism maintained on thiouracil for many mos. These pathologic changes, along with exptl. evidence in the literature, suggest a possible etiologic relationship between hyperplasia and neoplasia.