title: High prevalence of occult papillary thyroid carcinoma in a surgical series for benign thyroid disease.
abstract: In a surgical series of 277 consecutive patients operated on the thyroid for benign diseases, a high prevalence rate (10.5%) of occult papillary carcinoma was found by means of an accurate histologic examination. Indications for surgery were euthyroid multinodular goiter in 25 patients, autonomously hyperfunctioning adenoma in 2 and Graves' disease in 2 patients. Neoplastic foci were unilaterally found in 25 cases but multifocally in 6 and bilaterally in 4 cases: the diameters ranged from 2-10 mm. After operation (14 subtotal and 15 total thyroidectomies), all patients received TSH-suppressive doses of T4. At a mean follow-up of 5.6 years, neither local recurrences nor lymph node or distant metastases had occurred; no patient died of the tumor. In keeping with other surgical and autopsy series, the prevalence of occult thyroid carcinoma in a normal population is calculated to be about 5-10%, whereas it is known that the prevalence of clinically evident thyroid cancer is only 0.05%. This means that only 1-2% of occult carcinomas may evolve in an overt tumor during life. In view of such an epidemiologic difference and the favorable course of our patients, although the mean follow-up is rather short, we suggest that lobectomy plus T4 treatment may be considered an adequate therapeutic approach in patients with occult papillary thyroid carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Patologia Chirurgica II, Università di Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pelizzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piotto
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubello
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fassina
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Busnardo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*