Macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Report of a case with fine needle aspiration biopsy findings

Abstract

Background: Macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma is defined as a combination of numerous macrofollicles occupying 50% of the tumor and foci of the conventional follicular variant of papillary carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no English-language reports on its cytologic findings.

Case: A fine needle aspiration specimen from a mass of the thyroid in a 59-year-old female showed a large collection of dense, inspissated colloid and a few sheets of tumor cells with nuclei characteristic of papillary carcinoma. There were no three-dimensional, branching papillae with fibrovascular cores.

Conclusion: Although macrofollicular variant of papillary carcinoma is very rare, fine needle aspiration cytology may contribute to its correct diagnosis.