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A clinico-morphological analysis of 157 cases of papillary cancer of the thyroid is made. Depending on the presence and time of appearance of regional metastases three groups of patients are distinguished: I -- regional metastases are the first clinical manifestation of the lesion (87 patients); II -- the lesion starts with the appearance of a node in the gland, regional metastases develop later (50 patients); III -- thyroid tumor without regional metastases (20 patients). The groups sungled out differ reliably in the rate of tumor growth and prognosis. The first group proved to be most favourable with respect to prognosis. A five-year survival in patients of the first group was noted in 92 +/- 3.3%, while 84 +/- 7.4% of patients survived for 10 years and longer. There were no essential differences in the morphological signs in the concerned clinical groups of papillary cancer of the thyroid.

Brief literature data on the incidence and difficulties of diagnosis of cancer arising in remnants of the thyroglossal duct are reported. Three personal authors' observations are described. The correct diagnosis was not established prior to surgery. Tumor removal with resection of the sublingual bone is recommended as the most rational method of treatment.

Under study was the kinetics of morphological changes of high-differentiated carcinomas of the thyroid after repeat operative interventions, the interval between those was 2--15 years. It is suggested that during the development of high differentiated thyroid tumors the morphological structure of the tumor is remained and shows no tendency to transformation into anaplastic forms. Tumors showing both papillary and anaplastic structures (papillary polymorphous cancers) are considered to be the result of irregular tumor progression under which separate zones of neoplastic cells proved to be in different stages of differentiation.