Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Abstract

Although most thyroid nodules are a result of a benign disease process (>90%), the possibility of thyroid cancer is always a consideration. Ultrasonography can help for differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Fine needle aspiration biopsy is the traditional diagnostic test to determine malignancy in thyroid nodules. We present a 58-year-old female patient with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) who was treated by total thyroidectomy. Although the recent ATA guideline recommends that the extent of initial surgery can be a total or near-total thyroidectomy or lobectomy in low-risk unilateral PTC >1 cm and <4 cm, the extent of thyroidectomy in such patients should be decided according to the judgment of the treatment team and postoperative histopathological findings. In low-risk PTC patients, a suppressed or stimulated Tg <1 ng/mL by 3–4 weeks postoperatively and no evidence of disease by imaging further confirm classification of these patients as being at low risk. RAI (radioactive iodine) remnant ablation is not routinely recommended after thyroidectomy for ATA low-risk PTC patients.