Solid variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: incidence, clinical-pathologic characteristics, molecular analysis, and biologic behavior.
Solid variant is a rare and poorly characterized variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. In this study we analyzed 20 primary cases of the solid variant of papillary carcinoma found in a series of 756 papillary carcinomas operated at the Mayo Clinic between 1962 and 1989. The criteria for classification included predominantly (>70%) solid growth pattern of primary tumor, retention of cytologic features typical of papillary carcinoma, and absence of tumor necrosis. For each case of the solid variant, a control case of classical papillary carcinoma matched by age, sex, tumor size, and length of follow-up was selected. The follow-up ranged from 6 to 32 years. Two patients with the solid variant of papillary carcinoma (10%) died from disease 7 and 10 years after initial surgery, while another two patients (10%) are alive with lung metastases. In contrast, the control group had no cases with distant metastases or death from disease. Molecular analyses showed a similar prevalence of RET /PTC rearrangements in both groups. In conclusion, the solid variant of papillary carcinoma is associated with a slightly higher frequency of distant metastases and less favorable prognosis than classical papillary carcinoma. However, it should be distinguished from poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma, which has a reported lower survival rate compared with the solid variant of papillary carcinoma.
Nikiforov
Y E
YE
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0529, USA. Yuri.Nikiforov@uc.edu
Erickson
L A
LA
Nikiforova
M N
MN
Caudill
C M
CM
Lloyd
R V
RV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D056918:Nuclear Receptor Coactivators; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014157:Transcription Factors
D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; C111382:NCOA4 protein, human; D056918:Nuclear Receptor Coactivators; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C093573:ret-PTC fusion oncoproteins, human