Publication:

Association of lymphocytic thyroiditis and papillary thyroid carcinoma: a retrospective study done at a tertiary care centre in Kerala, India

Background The incidences of thyroid malignancies are rising across many parts of the world, due to various reasons. Among all the thyroid malignancy, Papillary Carcinoma of Thyroid (PTC) is the most common type, but fortunately if follows a slow course with excellent survival statistics. Papillary Thyroid Cancer has varied presentations and it has been observed that PTC is commonly found in association with Lymphocytic thyroiditis. In this study, we aim to analyse the mode of presentation of PTC, along with the diagnostic modalities and its relationship with Lymphocytic thyroiditis.

Methods A total of 80 patients who were operated at a tertiary care hospital in south Kerala and had a histopathological diagnosis of Papillary Carcinoma of thyroid were included in the study. The presenting complaints, clinical signs, pre-operative thyroid function tests, ultrasonography findings, FNAC reports and pathology reports were obtained from the patient records.

Results Mean ages of the participants were 44.6 years and vast majorities (80%) were females. All the participants had a neck swelling at the time of presentation while 6.2% of the participants presented with hyperthyroid/thyrotoxicosis symptoms and 23.1% had symptoms suggestive of hypothyroidism. Fifty percent of the participants had an associated lymphocytic thyroiditis.

Conclusions The mode of initial clinical presentation of this malignancy is varied and can range from hypothyroidism to thyrotoxicosis to a neck swelling. Biochemically also, we have found that the Thyroid Function Tests can yield a result in any part of the wide spectrum between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Also, it was found that no clinical or a laboratory finding was associated with the presence of lymphocytic thyroiditis in patients with Papillary Carcinoma of thyroid.