title: The tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: clinical and pathological features and outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The tall cell variant (TCV) is a relatively rare variant of papillary thyroid cancer. Since a controversy exists whether or not the TCV has a worse outcome, the aim of our study was to retrospectively compare the clinicopathological features and outcomes in a group of TCV patients and a larger group of patients with classical papillary thyroid carcinoma (cPTC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 30 TCV and 293 cPTC patients were analyzed. Among the 293 cPTC, we also selected a "high-risk" cPTC group (no.=103) that was treated with the same protocol used for the TCV patients. All data were managed by Cox analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to all cPTC patients, TCV subjects displayed only a significantly higher rate of extrathyroid extension. At multivariate analysis, TCV was not an independent variable for the prediction of a high risk of persistent/recurrent disease. At the last follow-up observation, there was no difference in the disease status between the TCV and all cPTC patients. Moreover, "high-risk" cPTC patients had a significant increase in persistent/recurrent disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, although the TCV histotype is associated with a higher prevalence of extrathyroid extension, it is characterized by an outcome that is not significantly different from that of all cPTC patients and is more favorable than that of "high-risk" cPTC patients. Only those TCV patients classified as "high risk" based on specific pathological and clinical features, according to current guidelines, should be treated aggressively, such as with a total thyroidectomy, neck lymph node dissection or ablative radioiodine treatment.
authors: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Bio-Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Via Palermo 636, 95122 Catania, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Regalbuto
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Malandrino
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Frasca
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Pellegriti
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Le Moli
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Vigneri
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Pezzino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult