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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2005; 113(3): 152-159
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-837523
Article

J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Questionnaire on Management of Nodular Thyroid Disease (Annual Meeting of the Thyroid Section of the German Society of Endocrinology 2003)

D. Führer1 , C. Mügge1 , R. Paschke1
  • 1IIIrd Medical Department, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received: May 24, 2004 First decision: July 21, 2004

Accepted: September 9, 2004

Publication Date:
23 March 2005 (online)

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Abstract

Nodular thyroid disease is highly prevalent in iodine deficient areas. In Germany it affects approximately 30 % of the adult population. Differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules is directed at exclusion of rare thyroid malignancy and assessment of the nodules' functional characteristics in order to determine the best treatment approach.

In 2003 the annual meeting of the Sektion Schilddrüse, a thyroid specialist group of the German Society of Endocrinology addressed the topic of “management of benign nodular thyroid disease”. To assess the current diagnostic and therapeutic approach to nodular thyroid disease by German thyroid experts we designed a questionnaire, which was sent to all members of the Thyroid Section before the meeting and was answered by 70 % of the participants. We here report the results of the questionnaire, which show a considerable national heterogeneity in the management of thyroid nodules as well as diagnostic and treatment preferences for different thyroid specialist subgroups, e.g. endocrinologists and nuclear medicine specialist. This is in agreement with results of previous questionnaires assessing state-of-the-art practise among members of the European and American Thyroid Associations and underlines the definite need for a consensus process and for carefully planned randomized trials to answer the many unresolved questions in diagnosis and therapy of nodular thyroid disease.

Key words

Thyroid nodule - ultrasound - scintiscan - FNAC - medical treatment

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Prof. Dr. med. R. Paschke

Medizinische Klinik III
Universität Leipzig

Ph.-Rosenthal-Str. 27

04103 Leipzig

Germany

Phone: + 4903419713200

Fax: + 49 0 34 19 71 32 09

Email: pasr@medizin.uni-leipzig.de