Macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Report of a case with fine needle aspiration biopsy findings.
BACKGROUND
Macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma is defined as a combination of numerous macrofollicles occupying 50% of the tumor and foci of the conventional follicular variant of papillary carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no English-language reports on its cytologic findings.


METHODS
A fine needle aspiration specimen from a mass of the thyroid in a 59-year-old female showed a large collection of dense, inspissated colloid and a few sheets of tumor cells with nuclei characteristic of papillary carcinoma. There were no three-dimensional, branching papillae with fibrovascular cores.


CONCLUSIONS
Although macrofollicular variant of papillary carcinoma is very rare, fine needle aspiration cytology may contribute to its correct diagnosis.
Hirokawa
M
M
Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan. hirokawa@med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp
Shimizu
M
M
Terayama
K
K
Kanahara
T
T
Sonoo
H
H
Manabe
T
T
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*