Mean Platelet Volume Index for Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Disorders: Evaluation of a Possible Diagnostic Biomarker

Abstract Background: Thyroid cancers are the most prevalent cancers of the endocrine system and platelets are effective components in the progression of thyroid tumors and can be affected by some products of tumor cells. Objective: To measure the changes of mean platelet volume (MPV) index in patients with benign and malignant thyroid disorders compared to healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: Patients who had undergone thyroidectomy were divided into two groups of benign and malignant thyroid disorders. There was also a healthy control group with normal thyroid function. All participants were compared for MPV. Results: This study assessed 190 participants, including 44 males (23.2%) and 146 females (76.8%). The age range of the participants spanned from 9 to 90 years, with an average age of 43.2 years and a standard deviation of 16.3 years. The number of euthyroid volunteers was 101 (53.2%), while 39 individuals (20.5%, five men and 34 women) had malignant thyroid disorders and the other 50 cases (26.3%, one man and 49 women) had benign thyroid disorders. The difference in MPV between patients with benign and malignant thyroid disorders and normal subjects—in the form of binary comparisons—was significant. Multinodular goiter and papillary thyroid carcinoma were the most prevalent benign and malignant thyroid disorders, respectively and had significantly different MPVs. Furthermore, the MPV value enabled differentiation between normal individuals and patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and those with multinodular goiter. However, the MPV index did not enable other subgroups of malignant and benign thyroid disorders to be differentiated. Lymphatic invasions were also unable to be detected by measuring MPV changes. Conclusion: Platelet volume measurement can be used as a complementary method for the differentiation of malignant and benign disorders of the thyroid gland.