title: Incidental versus clinically evident thyroid cancer: a 5-year follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer in patients undergoing surgery for presumed benign thyroid disease (incidental thyroid cancer) is not negligible. The purpose of this study was to verify if incidental thyroid cancers have a different clinical course than the clinically evident thyroid cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of patients with incidental thyroid cancer (n = 95) has been compared to a control group with clinically evident thyroid cancer (n = 93). Both the histology and the outcome after a 5-year follow-up have been compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the univariate analysis, the groups demonstrated significant differences in many pathologic features, remnant ablation (p < .001), and persistent disease (p = .006). Nevertheless, the multivariate analysis revealed that the outcome was not influenced by the preoperative or the incidental diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incidental thyroid cancers show a different pathological pattern when compared to clinically evident thyroid cancers. Nonetheless, the final outcome is not influenced by preoperative or postoperative diagnosis. Hence, patients with incidental thyroid cancer should follow the same postoperative protocols of patients with clinically evident thyroid cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. micheleminuto@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Michele N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Minuto
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ugolini
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.forename: Liborio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torregrossa
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Antonangeli
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aghini-Lombardi
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elisei
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basolo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miccoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult