Case Report

General Features of Four CasesWith Oncocytic Change in Thyroid Tumors

  • Canten TATAROGLU
  • Zehra KESEN

Meandros Med Dent J 2007;8(1):35-37

Oncocytic change in thyroid follicular cells can take place in a range of pathological conditions with Hashimoto's thyroiditis on the benign and Hurthle cell carcinoma or medullary carcinoma on the malignant ends of the spectrum.We evaluated four cases of thyroid tumors composed of oncocytic cells. Three patients were women and one was a man. The tumors measured between 1 to 6 cm. Histologically all tumors showed oncocytic change in thyroid follicular cells.Two cases showed papillary features, and in the others the follicular growth pattern was predominant. In one case, the classical optically clear nuclei of papillary carcinoma were present. The rest had vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli. In two cases the peritumoral area showed the features of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. We report 4 cases with oncocytic thyroid neoplasms that might have different biological and prognostic features.

Keywords: Hurthle cell, papillary carcinoma, adenoma, thyroid