[The thyroid papillary microcarcinoma, a frequent scenario with a not well known biological behaviour]

The advent of high resolution ultrasonography resulted in the increased detection of small thyroid nodules and, consequently, in the diagnosis of thyroid microcarcinoma (mPTC). This agrees with the reduced mortality rate from thyroid cancer recently recorded in several European countries. Contrary to the hypothesis that thyroid cancer progression should be due to the progressive accumulation with time of molecular alterations, in different reports mPTC age was significantly higher than other thyroid cancers. Recently, a report suggested that "papillary microtumor" sounds the more appropriate for a low aggressive lesion. This term could reduce the large use of overtreatment, unchanging the patient's expected life.