—  SPECIALTY CONFERENCE  —

Head/Neck/Endocrine Pathology

Case 4 - Noninvasive Poorly-Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Bruce M. Wenig, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY





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Clinical History
22 year old female presented with asymmetric enlargement of the left lobe of the thyroid gland. No information available relative to a prior fine needle aspiration biopsy. A left lobectomy was performed. Intraoperative consultation diagnosis was "Folliuclar pattern lesion, defer to permanent section."

Pertinent Laboratory Data:

Gross description: Left thyroid lobe measuring 6.5 x 3.5 x 3.5cm showing multiple circumscribed but not grossly encapsulated lesions, including a dominant nodule measuring 3.5cm in greatest dimension with a tan-yellow appearance and central hemorrhagic appearing area.


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PAS

Differential Diagnoses:
  • Papillary carcinoma, solid variant

  • Thyroid medullary carcinoma

  • Undifferentiated (anaplastic) carcinoma

  • Benign follicular lesions/neoplasms with atypia

Final Diagnosis:
Noninvasive Poorly-Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

References:
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  16. Soares P et al: BRAF mutations typical of papillary thyroid carcinoma are more frequently detected in undifferentiated than in insular and insular-like poorly differentiated carcinomas. Virchows Arch 444(6):572-6, 2004.

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