title: Contralateral papillary thyroid cancer: does size matter?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The optimal extent of thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) <1 cm is controversial. Our aim was to identify the rate and factors predictive of contralateral PTC in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 228 patients with PTC who underwent either completion or total thyroidectomy and analyzed the predictive value of tumor size, histology, margin status, capsular invasion, extrathyroid extension, multifocality, and node metastases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed no differences in the rate of contralateral disease in patients with primary PTC > or =1 cm compared with those having disease <1 cm, 30% versus 24%, respectively (P = .43). Multifocality was the only factor predictive of contralateral PTC in patients with tumors <1 cm (P = .02). Patients with tumors <.5 cm also had a comparable rate of contralateral disease (27%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of contralateral PTC appears to be unrelated to the size of the primary tumor. Furthermore, in patients with PTC <1 cm, multifocality is a risk factor for PTC in the contralateral lobe.
authors.affiliation: Section of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. pitt@surgery.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Sippel
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012307:Risk Factors; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D055815:Young Adult