title: Morphological features that can predict BRAFV600E-mutated carcinoma in paediatric thyroid cytology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  BRAFV600Erepresents the most common diagnostic marker in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). A few papers have demonstrated the correlation between BRAFV600Eand specific morphological findings on PTCs in the adult population. This is the first reported series investigating cytological morphological parameters in paediatric thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and nineteen paediatric samples (56 male and 63 female patients), diagnosed in the period between April 2013 and July 2015, were enrolled in the study. Fifteen patients with inadequate results were excluded. Cytological cases were processed with liquid-based cytology (LBC). BRAFV600Eand immunocytochemistry for the VE1 antibody were performed on LBC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diagnostic series included 10 mutated and 94 wild-type (WT) cases. Twenty two percent surgical samples showed 96% cytohistological concordance. The morphological analysis revealed plump cells (abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and PTC nuclei) in all 10 mutated cases with only four cases showing a focal (less than 20% of the cells) plump component. None of the WT showed plump cells. A sickle nuclear shape was seen only in the mutated cases. VE1 yielded 100% positivity on mutated cases with three cytohistological discrepancies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BRAFV600Emutation is also seen in paediatric cytology and the morphological features showed a high accuracy as both predictive mutational parameters and a helpful aid in management mainly of the aggressive BRAFV600Emutated carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, "Agostino Gemelli" School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, "Agostino Gemelli" School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bizzarro
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, "Agostino Gemelli" School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, "Agostino Gemelli" School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capodimonti
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, "Agostino Gemelli" School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cenci
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, "Agostino Gemelli" School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fadda
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal.|Laboratorie National de Sante, Dudelange, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, "Agostino Gemelli" School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Larocca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D002648:Child; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
keywords: BRAF mutation; liquid based cytology; paediatric thyroid carcinoma; paediatric thyroid lesions; plump cells