Thyroid papillary carcinoma associated with ossification

A feature of aspiration cytology

Abstract

We examined aspiration cytology specimens from 16 cases of thyroid papillary carcinoma associated with ossification. The true aspiration cytology positive rate (47%) was low. Cases with a large degree of ossification tended to yield less aspiration material. Even when aspiration for a hard mass in the thyroid is negative, we like to think we still have to consider the possibility of malignancy. There was no bony tissue in 19 aspirated materials, but in 3 cases there was adipose tissue composed of fat cells of a variety of cell size and foamy cytoplasm. The presence of adipose tissue may be indicative of aspiration from a papillary carcinoma with ossification.