Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
05:39
Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
2.1K
Multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis and its association with papillary thyroid carcinoma using BRAF pyrosequencing
Renee Frank1, Zubair W Baloch, Caren Gentile
1Division of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 6th Floor Founders Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Endocrine Pathology
|December 17, 2013
Summary
Multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis (MFT) does not appear to be a direct precursor to papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). BRAF mutations, common in PTC, were not found in MFT lesions in this study.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Pathology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis (MFT) presents with stellate fibrosis and has been suggested as a potential risk factor for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
- Investigating the molecular link between MFT and PTC is crucial for understanding thyroid cancer development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis (MFT) exhibits molecular changes associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
- To assess the potential precursor relationship between MFT and PTC through BRAF mutation analysis.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of seven cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis (MFT) from 1999-2012.
- BRAF mutation analysis at codon 600 using macro-dissection, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and pyrosequencing on PTC, MFT, and normal thyroid tissue.
Main Results:
- No BRAF mutations were detected in any of the multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis (MFT) lesions or normal thyroid tissues analyzed.
- BRAF mutations were found in two out of seven (29%) papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cases, while five (71%) were negative.
- None of the MFT lesions harbored BRAF mutations, contrasting with the presence of mutations in some PTCs within the same gland.
Conclusions:
- This study found no evidence that multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis (MFT) is a direct precursor to papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
- MFT lesions are likely incidental bystanders, reflecting underlying thyroiditis rather than initiating PTC development.
