Simultaneous occurrence of thyroiditis and papillary carcinoma. Report of two cases

COMMON VARIETIES of thyroiditis, Tsuil. x u t e thyroiditis and strunia lymphomatosa, generally can be differentiated from carcinoma without difficulty. T h e rubbery consistency of struma lyniphomatosa and the usually diffuse involvement of the entire gland distinguish it from malignant tumors, which tend to involve only one portion of the gland. In subacute thyroiditis, pain and tenderness usually are present, and, although only one lobe inay be involved, the lobe tends to retain its nornial shape as in struiiia lymphomatosa. For these reasons, it is not as a rule difficult to differentiate thyroiditis from carcinoma on the basis of the clinical examination, and, generally, the pathologist has no difficulty in distinguishing thyroiditis from carcinoma either horn examination of frozen sections or from Silverman needle biopsies.