LYMPHADENOID GOITER

Abstract
WHILE in recent articles (Joll,1 Graham,2 Hellwig,3 McSwain and Moore4 and Schilling5) lymphadenoid goiter is recognized as a pathologic and clinical entity, the causes, histogenesis and clinical significance of this rare form of goiter are still little understood. Since 1940, we have had the opportunity of observing 14 cases of lymphadenoid goiter. We are presenting the histologic data because we found alterations of the thyroid epithelium which have not been correctly interpreted in recent studies, and we believe that these epithelial changes, rather than the more conspicuous accumulations of lymphoid tissue, are the most important characteristics of this disease. CLINICAL FINDINGS The 14 patients were all women. While 2 patients were 16 and 27 years old respectively, the ages of all others ranged from 32 to 61 years, the average age being 44.7 years. The patients had noticed, from six weeks to twenty years previous