Scarring in papillary carcinoma of the thyroid: report of two new cases with exuberant nodular fasciitis-like stroma.
OBJECTIVE
To describe two new cases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid with exuberant nodular fasciitis-like stroma, one of which was characterized by previously unreported transformation into a poorly differentiated lesion. Moreover, we explore the presence of TGF-beta to help to clarify the pathogenesis of the collagen formation.


RESULTS
The case characterized by an aggressive behaviour exhibited areas of transformation into a poorly differentiated (insular) carcinoma of the thyroid. In both cases, as revealed by immunohistochemistry, neoplastic cells produced and secreted high amounts of TGF-beta. On the contrary, TGF-beta immunoreaction was never present in the normal thyroid or in papillary carcinomas without collagen bundles, while a weak, exclusively intracellular reaction was present in a patchy manner in cases showing intratumoral fibrous bundles.


CONCLUSIONS
The rare variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma characterized by exuberant stroma may give rise to more aggressive lesions, as do other histotypes of differentiated thyroid carcinomas. TGF-beta, the fundamental cytokine which mediates scarring and activation of myofibroblasts, most probably induces the exuberant stroma.
Toti
P
P
Institute of Pathology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. paolot@unisi.it
Tanganelli
P
P
Schürfeld
K
K
Stumpo
M
M
Barbagli
L
L
Vatti
R
R
Luzi
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007627:Keloid / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta