Supporters had gathered in vigil at the hospital where Ms Fernandez was undergoing treatment

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner did not have cancer after all, the presidential spokesman has said.

Ms Fernandez underwent an operation last week aimed at treating suspected thyroid cancer.

Supporters gathered in vigil at the hospital amid huge public interest.

But post-operative tests had definitively ruled out the presence of cancerous cells in removed nodules, spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro said.

The news was greeted with cheers when it was announced to supporters outside the Austral University Hospital in Pilar, some 60km (40 miles) from the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.

With the new diagnosis, Ms Fernandez medical team "considers that the surgical treatment undertaken is sufficient and the administration of radioactive iodine is no longer necessary", Mr Scoccimarro said.

He said the president was thankful for the affection and concern for her health she had received.

She has been released from hospital and is convalescing at her official residence, he added.