[Estrogen receptors in the malignant and benign neoplasms of the thyroid]

The etiology of thyroid carcinoma is multifactoral. The examples of etiologic factors are: deficit of iodine, genetic predisposition's, female sex, older age, irradiate in childhood, thyroid growth stimulating factors, and epidermal growth factor. Epidemiological data suggested that differentiated thyroid carcinoma depends on sex hormones, especially estrogen. The author have immunohistochemically studied estrogen receptors (ER) in many benign and malignant thyroid tumours. The cases included 8 papillary, 4 follicular, 4 anaplastic, and 1 Hurthle cell carcinomas, 15 follicular adenomas, 4 Hurthle cell adenomas, 8 adenomatous goiter, and 12 parenchymal goiter. Incidences of ER-positive cases were 4/8 in papillary carcinoma, 2/4 follicular carcinoma, 1/1 Hurthle cell carcinoma, 0/4 anaplastic carcinoma, 2/4 Hurthle cell adenoma, and 0/15 follicular adenoma, 0/8 adenomatous goiter, 0/12 parenchymal goiter. Estrogen receptors are commonly detectable in thyroid carcinomas (papillary carcinoma). Estrogens may play an important role as as a promoting factor in thyroid carcinoma. The results of future investigation will explain the possible role of hormones in thyroid pathology and the importance of the sex hormones receptors expression analysis for therapeutic detection.