Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a well differentiated malignant tumour that usually has a good prognosis in vast majority of patients after thyroidectomy, suppressive hormonal, and radioiodine treatment. However 5–10% of PTC cases can develop local relapse and distant metastases.

Purpose of study: To make a comparative morphological analysis of PTC in two groups of patients: i) with and ii) without local relapse (regional metastases) after treatment.

Material and methods: H&E stained histological sections of primary PTC were reviewed in 17 cases of the group (a) and 18 cases of the group (b).

Results: Papillary architecture of the PTCs of group (a) was detected more often (58%) comparing with the group (b) (17%) (P=0.0153). Follicular and solid-follicular architectures were diagnosed more often in the group (b) (56%) comparing with the group (a) (12%) (P=0.0116). Focal tall, columnar, clear, and oxyphilic tumour cells were revealed more often in the group (a) (36%) comparing with the group (b) (5%) (P=0.0408).

Conclusion: Recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma is characterized by predominantly papillary architecture of primary tumours with focal components of tall, columnar, clear, and oxyphilic tumour cells.