Squamoid, Spindle, and Giant Cell Lesions UNDIFFERENTIATED (ANAPLASTIC) CARCINOMA Anaplastic or undifferentiated carcinoma historically accounted for 5% to 10% of all primary malignant tumors of the thyroid [1], but in…
Solid and Trabecular Lesions PAPILLARY CARCINOMA Solid Variant The solid variant of papillary carcinoma is characterized by solid nests of epithelial cells that have well-defined borders but fail to form…
Follicular Lesions FOLLICULAR NODULAR DISEASE The most common disorder of the thyroid is the presence of numerous follicular nodules with heterogeneous architecture and cytology. These lesions may be small and…
Papillary Lesions GRAVES’ DISEASE It is rare that a patient with Graves’ disease will undergo biopsy of the thyroid except in the event of a cold nodule developing within the…
Inflammatory and Lymphoid Lesions ACUTE INFLAMMATION Acute inflammation of the thyroid occurs in the setting of infection and/or trauma, after radiation, or in association with tumor necrosis. Infection is rare…
Cystic Lesions SIMPLE COLLOID CYSTS AND HEMORRHAGIC CYSTS Cystic change within nodules of the thyroid gland is easily identified on ultrasound. Large cysts become the target for fine needle aspiration…
Ancillary Tools in Thyroid Diagnosis Many thyroid tumors can be readily diagnosed using cytologic and histopathologic criteria, which allow the pathologist to distinguish benign from malignant lesions and guarantee accurate…
The Histologic Biopsy of Thyroid—Technical Aspects Historically, the use of incisional biopsies and more recently the use of core needle biopsies had been advocated by some who felt that the…
The Cytologic Approach to Diagnosis of Thyroid Pathology—Technical Aspects FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION OF THE THYROID Fine needle aspiration (FNA) appears to be an exceedingly simple procedure. The target lesion is…
The Classification of Thyroid Pathology The classification of thyroid pathology includes congenital, inflammatory, and neoplastic disorders. These are listed in Table 3.1. Many of these are diagnosed based on clinical…
