Comparative Analysis of Incidental and Non-Incidental Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma Outcomes: Implications on Management Recommendations

IF 2.8 3区医学 Q2 ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM

Clinical Endocrinology Pub Date : 2026-06-02 Epub Date: 2026-03-23 DOI:10.1111/cen.70127

Emma A. Finnegan, Justin M. Hintze, Anne McGowan, James Gibney, Conall W. R. Fitzgerald, John Kinsella, Marie Louise Healy

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Abstract

Introduction

Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMC) are defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as tumours measuring ≤ 10 mm. Incidental PTMCs, or lesions discovered postoperatively on histological examination, are less extensively studied compared with lesions diagnosed preoperatively through cytology, particularly in terms of demographics, histopathological features and long-term outcomes. This study aimed to compare outcomes between these patients.

Methods

A single-centre retrospective cohort analysis of data from the St. James's University Hospital Head and Neck tumour board spanning from 2013 to 2023 was conducted. A total of 152 patients diagnosed with PTMCs and neck nodes ≤ 1 cm were identified during this period. Of these, 55 were incidental and 47 were non-incidental PTMCs included in the final analysis.

Results

Significant differences were observed between the two subgroups in terms of the size of the largest tumour focus (7.8 mm vs. 3.9 mm, p < 0.001), the presence of aggressive histologic variants (9.2% vs. 0.9%, p = 0.002) and the frequency of neck dissections (8.8% vs. 0.0%, p < 0.001). However, no recurrences occurred in either group.

Conclusion

This comprehensive 10-year retrospective review found few differences in the presentation of incidental and non-incidental microcarcinoma, with low recurrence rates and excellent outcomes. These findings, with overall low numbers, provide hypothesis-generating evidence that this group may be suitable for discharge to primary care for further follow-up.

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偶发与非偶发甲状腺乳头状微癌预后的比较分析：对治疗建议的影响。

简介：乳头状甲状腺微癌（PTMC）被世界卫生组织（WHO）定义为直径≤10毫米的肿瘤。与术前通过细胞学诊断的病变相比，对偶发ptmc或术后通过组织学检查发现的病变的研究较少，特别是在人口统计学、组织病理学特征和长期预后方面。本研究旨在比较这些患者的预后。方法：对2013年至2023年圣詹姆斯大学医院头颈部肿瘤委员会的数据进行单中心回顾性队列分析。在此期间，共有152例患者被诊断为ptmc和颈部淋巴结≤1 cm。其中，55例为偶发，47例为非偶发ptmc纳入最终分析。结果：两个亚组在最大肿瘤病灶大小方面观察到显著差异（7.8 mm vs. 3.9 mm, p）。结论：这项全面的10年回顾性研究发现，偶发和非偶发微癌的表现几乎没有差异，复发率低，预后良好。这些总体数字较低的发现提供了产生假设的证据，表明该组可能适合出院到初级保健进行进一步随访。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Clinical Endocrinology 医学-内分泌学与代谢

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

3.10%

发文量

192

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： Clinical Endocrinology publishes papers and reviews which focus on the clinical aspects of endocrinology, including the clinical application of molecular endocrinology. It does not publish papers relating directly to diabetes care and clinical management. It features reviews, original papers, commentaries, correspondence and Clinical Questions. Clinical Endocrinology is essential reading not only for those engaged in endocrinological research but also for those involved primarily in clinical practice.