title: Coexistence of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is associated with lower recurrence rates in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effect of coexistent chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) on prognosis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients remains controversial. We evaluated the influence of coexistent CLT on prognostic outcome and the association of coexistent CLT with clinicopathological parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study with a median follow-up of 70 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with PTC who underwent total thyroidectomy followed by (131)I remnant ablation between 1995 and 2003 at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea were enrolled. CLT was diagnosed histopathologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 1441 patients, 214 (14.9%) had coexistent CLT. A greater female preponderance was noted in the patients with CLT compared with those without CLT (P < 0.01). Mean tumour size in the patients with CLT was smaller than that in patients without CLT (2.0 +/- 1.2 vs. 2.2 +/- 1.4 cm; P = 0.02). One hundred and fifty-one (12.3%) patients without CLT had recurrence, whereas 14 (7.1%) patients with CLT had recurrence during the follow-up period (P = 0.016). In patients with cervical lymph node metastases, those with coexistent CLT showed a significantly lower recurrence rate than those without CLT (P = 0.012). However, this association was lost on multivariate analysis adjusting for other clinicopathological predictors for recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, CLT was commonly associated with PTC and was associated with smaller size of the primary tumour at presentation. CLT was also associated with a reduced risk of recurrence during follow-up, although this was not significant after adjustment for other prognostic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, S.Korea.
authors.forename: Eui Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Gu
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Bae
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Yong
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin-Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Suck Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Gyungyub
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Young Kee
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Shong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome