[Hurthle cell thyroid tumor: an analysis of 28 cases]

To explore the clinical features and the combined treatment modality of Hurthle cell thyroid tumor (HCT).

Twenty-eight cases of HCT treated between 2001 and 2009 were analyzed retrospectively.

The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 72 years (with a median of 46.5 years); 22 females and 6 males. The main symptoms were thyroid solitary node or mass (22 cases) and multiple nodule (6 cases), 2 cases with cervical lymph node metastasis. All of the patients underwent surgery, 11 cases with thyroid lobectomy, 11 cases with thyroid lobectomy plus isthmusectomy, 4 cases with subtotal thyroidectomy, and 2 cases with thyroid lobectomy plus isthmusectomy and combined with modified radical cervical lymph node dissection. Postoperative pathological examination showed that 22 cases were Hurthle cell adenomas and 6 cases were Hurthle cell carcinomas, 1 of them with cervical lymph node metastasis. Twenty-one patients with Hurthle cell adenomas were followed up for 6 months to 7.5 years (with a median of 45 months) and 6 patients with Hurthle cell carcinomas for 3 to 8 years (with a median of 54 months), with no recurrence and death case.

HCT is a potential malignant neoplasm. There are some difficulties in the diagnosis of HCT by frozen section. Surgery is an effective treatment for HCT. L-Thyroxine can be used to inhibit TSH excretion.