Introduction:

thyroid nodular disease is one of the most common endocrine problems; it constitutes a challenge for surgeons, endocrinologists and oncologists because of its association with thyroid gland cancer.

Objectives:

to determine factors associated with malignancy in patients with thyroid nodules who have received surgical treatment.

Methods:

an observational, analytical, case-control study was carried out in patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of a thyroid nodule and received surgical treatment at "Mártires del 9 de Abril" Hospital, in Sagua la Grande municipality, from January 2015 to April 2018. The sample consisted of a total of 80 patients (n = 80), of which, case group 20 (n1= 20), and control group 60 (n2= 60).

Results:

papillary carcinoma was found among the most frequent histological types of malignant tumors in 16 patients (80%), and 4 were diagnosed with follicular carcinoma (20%). Adenopathies were among the predictors most strongly associated with malignancy, (PPV: 88.89, CI: 62.80-100.00) and stony consistency (PPV: 85.71, CI: 52.65-100.00) as clinical variables, followed by male gender as a socio-demographic variable (PPV: 72.73, CI: 41.86-100.00).

Conclusions:

clinical, socio-demographic and ultrasonographic characteristics of patients with thyroid nodule are useful to identify the risk of malignancy. The predictors most strongly associated with malignancy were adenopathies, stony consistency and male gender.