[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of recurrent goiter].

Operations were conducted on 1,055 patients with postoperative recurrent goiter, in 211 of them the disease had recurred repeatedly. Thyrotoxicosis was diagnosed in 331 and nontoxic adenomatous goiter in 724 patients. Autoimmune thyroiditis was revealed in 77 of 237 patients with an autoimmune process in the thyroid gland. Carcinoma of the thyroid was recognised in 68 cases. The authors show the necessity for complex clinical, anamnestic, laboratory, radioisotope, ultrasonic, radiological, and aspiration cytologic examinations. An operation is indicated in severe thyrotoxicosis and all forms of adenomatous goiter. It is technically difficult to perform an operation for a second time. Those performed for adenomatous forms of goiter must be accompanied by an emergency histologic examination. Two methods for repeated operations are described. Correcting hormonotherapy after reoperations is a practicable means for preventing repeated recurrences. Quite favourable late results of surgical treatment are shown.