[Nuclear ultrastructure and histocytologic features of thyroid papillary carcinoma]

Nuclear ultrastructure and histo-cytologic features of 5 cases of thyroid papillary carcinoma were studied. Three main ultrastructural features were: (1) the complex folds and invaginations of the nuclear envelope with formation of nuclear lobules and tiny bridges, (2) the intranuclear pseudoinclusions and (3) the abundant euchromatins. Under the light microscope, as mentioned above in (1), the findings were observed as the indentation of nuclear envelope and deep nuclear groove, (2) was shown as the intranuclear eosinophilic globular body and (3) as the ground-glass appearance of nucleus. The intranuclear eosinophilic globular bodies could be seen on the routine and frozen sections as well as smears. The intranuclear pseudoinclusions and eosinophilic globular bodies, were found in these 5 papillary carcinomas. At the same time, the ultrastructure and histologic features of the follicular cells were observed in 13 cases of colloid adenomas and 9 nodular goiters. None of the follicular cell nuclei showed the three features described above. The intranuclear pseudoinclusion or eosinophilic globular body was not found in any of the ultrathin and histologic sections. These results indicate that in the pathologic diagnosis of thyroid papillary carcinoma, the light microscope has more practical value than the electron microscope. Still does it, especially in the cytologic diagnosis of thyroid puncture before operation.