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Cytological features of solid variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma: a fine needle aspiration cytology study of 18
M Higuchi1, M Hirokawa2, A Suzuki1
1Department of Laboratory Science, Kuma Hospital, Kobe, Japan.
Objective:
Solid variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma (SV-PTC) are rare, and there have been few reports describing the cytological findings of such variants.
Methods:
The cytological features of cellular specimens aspirated from 18 histologically confirmed SV-PTC cases were evaluated, retrospectively.
Results:
Solid and small papillary clusters were observed in 14 (77.8%) and 13 (72.2%) cases, respectively. The incidences of large papillary clusters (11.1%) and sheet-like arrangements (11.1%) were low. Nuclear features were consistent with conventional PTC. The background was clean, and there were no colloid materials, foamy histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells, psammoma bodies, or necrotic materials.
Conclusions:
Solid clusters and small papillary clusters in conjunction with a clean background are diagnostic clues that indicate SV-PTC cytologically. It is thought that small papillary clusters reflect the micropapillary growth pattern seen within the lumen of middle-sized follicular structures. The presence of nuclear findings typical of conventional PTC and the absence of mitotic figures and necrotic materials are important for distinguishing SV-PTC from poorly differentiated carcinoma.
