CQ11. Does TSH Suppression Therapy Reduce the Size of Tumors Diagnosed as Benign?

Nodular lesions of the thyroid are detected in 4–7% of the general population and the incidence is higher in iodine-deficient areas. In autopsy studies, more than 50% of thyroids regarded as normal had nodules. Furthermore, the incidence of thyroid incidentaloma, that is, nodules incidentally detected on imaging studies, was also high at 13–67% [1]. This is likely due to the development of various imaging studies such as high-resolution ultrasonography which are increasingly likely to be performed and propagation of medical screening and “ningen dock” check-up increases.