Incidental Papillary Microcarcinoma and Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Multinodular Goiter

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to examine the incidence of incidental papillary microcarcinoma (PMC) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in patients with benign multinodular goiter (MNG) and to compare their relationship with some prognostic factors from a new perspective. METHODS: Bilateral total thyroidectomy (BTT) was used to evaluate the data of 716 patients who underwent a surgery for MNG. The prognostic data for these tumors and the relationship between patients with bilateral and multifocal tumors were evaluated using statistical tests. RESULTS: Papillary carcinomas were detected in 201 patients, PMC in 134 of them, and PTCs in 67. Bilaterality was more common in patients with PTCs than in those with PMC. The incidence of bilaterality in male patients with PTC was statistically more common. The presence of intra-tumoral lymphocytes was higher in multifocal PTC cases than in unifocal PTC cases. CONCLUSION: The results revealed that the number of PMC s was high in incidental tumors, and patients with PTC with male sex, bilaterality, multifocality, and tumor capsule invasion were associated with poor prognosis.