title: Thyroid cancer in black thyroid glands: the effect of age and race.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Black thyroid pigmentation is a rare entity. The risk of malignancy is higher in black thyroid compared to non-black thyroid glands. We aimed to examine the effect of age and race on the risk of malignancy in black thyroid glands.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified a series of consecutive patients who underwent thyroidectomy at an academic institution between January 1998 and May 2013. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and histopathology data were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 925 patients who underwent thyroidectomy, 112 (12.1%) patients with black thyroid glands were identified. The incidence of thyroid cancer was 55.4% in black thyroid glands compared to 32.8% in non-black thyroid glands (p < 0.0001). The incidence of papillary thyroid cancer among the black and non-black thyroid glands was 34.8 and 20%, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean age (± SD) for patients with black thyroid glands and those with non-black thyroid was 54.3 ± 12.8 and 51.2 ± 15.7 years, respectively (p = 0.05). Black thyroid glands were also associated with a higher incidence of microcarcinomas (76 vs. 59%, p = 0.02). Among patients with black thyroid glands, Caucasians had a higher malignancy rate (63.4%) than African-Americans (37%; p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of malignancy is higher in black thyroid compared to non-black thyroid glands, specifically in Caucasians.
authors: Division of Endocrine and Oncological Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La., USA.
authors: Yasin
authors: Y
authors: Ibrahim
authors: Byron E
authors: BE
authors: Crawford
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Murci
authors: Hammad
authors: H
authors: Masoodi
authors: Amna N
authors: AN
authors: Khan
authors: Tian
authors: T
authors: Hu
authors: Emad
authors: E
authors: Kandil
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Friedlander
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010858:Pigmentation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*