[Occult papillary thyroid carcinoma. Clinical significance and morphology of a common tumor].

In a systematic analysis of surgical specimens of 388 carcinomas of the thyroid 34 occult papillary tumours were revealed. In 18 of the 34 patients cervical lymph-node metastases were demonstrated, which in 16 had been the indication for operation. In 15 patients the tumour was a chance finding in a thyroid resected for other reasons. Postoperative follow-up over an average of ten years demonstrated a uniformly favourable course in all, regardless of tumour size or type, age, sex or lymph-node status. There were no local recurrences or metastases beyond those known at time of thyroidectomy.