Papillary thyroid carcinoma with exuberant nodular fasciitis-like stroma in a fine needle aspirate. A case report.
BACKGROUND
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with exuberant nodular fasciitis-like stroma (PTC-ES) is a new morphologic variant of conventional PTC. It is characterized by extensive reactive stromal proliferation, which may occupy 60-80% of the tumor.


METHODS
A 42-year-old female developed a tender, left-sided thyroid mass. The fine needle aspiration biopsy specimen contained, besides diagnostic epithelial features of PTC, many cohesive tissue fragments of cellular stroma.


CONCLUSIONS
A correct cytopathologic diagnosis of PTC-ES can be established if both epithelial and stromal components are present in needle aspirates.
Us-Krasovec
M
M
Department of Cytopathology, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Golouh
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005208:Fasciitis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000473:pathology*