Pre-operative diagnosis and outcomes of surgical treatment of the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPC)

Abstract

52 patients of the 2389 patients with papillary carcinoma of the thyroid treated surgically between January 2007 and January 2009 presented the follicular variant. Ultrasonographic features of the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPC) were classified into a malignant type (70%) and an adenoma-like type (25%). 39 of 40 FVPC cases underwent pre-operative fine needle aspiration cytology examination at Kuma Hospital. Pre-operatively, 36 cases (92%) were suggestive of malignant potential. Thirty-eight cases underwent lymph node dissection. Of the 11 cases with adenoma-like-type papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, 10 had no lymph node metastasis (pN0).