title: [Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas: review of 230 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Papillary microcarcinoma (PMC) is one of the most frequent pathological forms of thyroid cancer Here, we describe the circumstances of diagnosis and the clinical and pathological characteristics of this tumour We also analyze the therapeutic management and compare it with the recent published guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2000 and 2006, a total of 230 patients with a PMC of the thyroid gland were included in this retrospective study. We have investigated the correlations between some pathological parameters (plurifocality, lymph node invasion...) and several factors (age, gender, tumour size...).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diagnosis of PMC was suspected in the preoperative period in 15% of the patients, and was confirmed intraoperatively by the pathologist in 42% of the cases. Plurifocal or bilateral PMC were discovered in respectively 30 and 17% of the patients. The rate of lymph node invasion in the central neck (level VI) was 26%. An elevated tumor size was correlated with a higher rate of plurifocal or bilateral PMC and of lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). The indications for postoperative radioiodine therapy were reduced by approxiately 50% in the second part of our study. There were no case of thyroid PMC-related death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even for these small tumours, tumour size remains correlated with the tumour aggressiveness. The place of radioiodine therapy in the management of thyroid PMC was progressively reduced because of the good prognosis of this tumour.
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitaire de la Face et du Cou, Centre Antoine-Lacassagne, département de Chirurgie, 33 avenue de Valombrose, 06189 Nice, France. alexandre.bozec@nice.fnclcc.fr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozec
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Peyrottes
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poissonnet
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chamorey
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mahdyoun
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sudaka
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ettore
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Benisvy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bussière
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Marcy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vallicioni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demard
authors.forename: Santini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: José
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dassonville
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D055815:Young Adult