International Journal of Health & Allied Sciences

LETTER TO EDITOR
Year
: 2015  |  Volume : 4  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 59--60

Papillary thyroid carcinoma and its variants: The day to day thyroid problem


Kanyakumari1, S Srikanth2,  
1 Department of Pathology, MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences, Ghanpur, Medchal, Hyderabad, India
2 Department of Pathology, Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar, Telangana, India

Correspondence Address:
Kanyakumari
Department of Pathology, Medi Citi Institute of Medical Sciences, Ghanpur, Medchal, Hyderabad, Telangana
India




How to cite this article:
Kanyakumari, Srikanth S. Papillary thyroid carcinoma and its variants: The day to day thyroid problem.Int J Health Allied Sci 2015;4:59-60


How to cite this URL:
Kanyakumari, Srikanth S. Papillary thyroid carcinoma and its variants: The day to day thyroid problem. Int J Health Allied Sci [serial online] 2015 [cited 2024 Mar 28 ];4:59-60
Available from: https://www.ijhas.in/text.asp?2015/4/1/59/149279


Full Text

Sir,

Papillary thyroid carcinoma represents 1% of all malignancies [1] and represents 70-80% of all thyroid cancers. Several factors are associated with the development of this neoplasm, including genetic alterations, growth factors, and radiation. [2] The prognosis of this tumor is strongly associated with various clinical variables as follows: Age, tumor size, and histological parameters such as extracapsular extension, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node invasion, distant metastasis, and histological variants.

A hospital-based retrospective and prospective study was done for a period of 3 years. The information obtained from the patient records and consultation correspondence included sex, age, clinical presentation, size of tumor, location of tumor, previous diagnoses, extent of surgery (partial vs. total thyroidectomy), vascular invasion, lymph node status, and size and location of metastasis.

In the present study, we included only the histopathological cases as fine-needle aspiration cytology was not done for all cases. In the present study, we searched surgical pathology records of all the cases submitted to thyroidectomy. We reviewed only those cases in which a diagnosis of papillary carcinoma was made. We noted gross findings of each case and sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The microscopic slides were examined, and papillary carcinomas were further subclassified based on histological pattern.

During the study period, 34 thyroid malignancies were diagnosed. Of them, 31 (91.1%) of these malignancies were papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Two (5.88%) were diagnosed as follicular carcinoma. One (2.44%) was medullary carcinoma.

The following results were obtained when these papillary carcinomas were subclassified into the variants: Classic papillary - 14 (45.1%), follicular - 8 (25.8%), micropapillary (occult) - 4 (12.9%), diffuse sclerosing - 2 (6.45%), tall cell - 2 (6.45%), insular - 1 (3.22%), all these variants share common features of PTC. Majority of the cases presented with a solitary nodule thyroid 25 (80.6%) and 6 cases (19.3%) with diffuse thyroid swelling.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common form of thyroid cancer. They can occur at any age, but most often in the 20's to forties and account for the majority of thyroid carcinomas associated with previous exposure to ionizing radiation. Majority of the thyroid neoplasms are seen in females as it is related to the expression of estrogen receptors on neoplastic thyroid epithelium.

Classic form of PTC which accounts the majority of the cases in our study, grossly show well-circumscribed lesion some showing papillary projections [Figure 1]a. Microscopically show tumor arranged in branching papillary pattern with fibrovascular core, nuclei showing optically clearing (orphan Annie eye nuclei), nuclear grooving, crowding and overlapping [Figure 1]b.{Figure 1}

Follicular variant of PTC composed of follicles of variable sizes [Figure 2]. The colloid is usually darker, or hypereosinophilic compared to the colloid in the adjacent nonneoplastic thyroid and may show scalloping "bubble gum" appearance. Occasional multinucleated giant cells are present within the follicles. [3],[4] Micro papillary (occult) variant is usually found incidentally and measure <1 cm in diameter. Diffuse sclerosing papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is a rare variant malignancy, recently reported to account for 0.8% of PTC. [5],[6] Patients present with a diffuse goiter and are mostly clinically euthyroid, but can also be hypothyroid or hyperthyroid. It occurs most frequently in young females and may be mistaken clinically for benign disease particularly thyroiditis. [7],[8],[9] Most patients have lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis and lung metastases are common. Cerebral metastases have also been reported. [10]{Figure 2}

The overall outcome of patients with papillary carcinoma is excellent. We present this study to highlight the various variants of PTC and its course. Age group between 31-40 years contributed the highest number of cases and classical variant with the highest number of cases and the insular variant with the least number of cases in the present study.

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