Encapsulated well-differentiated follicular-patterned thyroid carcinomas do not play a significant role in the fatality rates from thyroid carcinoma.
A cohort of 1039 consecutive cases of thyroid carcinoma treated at a single institution and followed for an average of 11.9 years or until death included 102 encapsulated well-differentiated follicular-patterned tumors that had been diagnosed as carcinoma because of complete capsular invasion and/or papillary carcinoma-type nuclei. None of these cases were among the 67 patients from the cohort who died as a result of their thyroid carcinoma. The results of this study and a critical review of the pertinent literature indicate that tumors with these features are associated with an extremely favorable outcome and that they do not play a significant role in the fatality rate of thyroid carcinoma.
Piana
Simonetta
S
Department of Pathology, University of Bologna School of Medicine, Bologna, Italy. Simonetta.Piana@asmn.re.it
Frasoldati
Andrea
A
Di Felice
Enza
E
Gardini
Giorgio
G
Tallini
Giovanni
G
Rosai
Juan
J
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult