Comparison of platelet indices in papillary thyroid carcinoma and microcarcinoma

Aim: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common primary thyroid malignancy. It is called papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) if the nodule is less than 10 mm in diameter. It has been shown that platelets may play an essential role during chronic inflammation, cancer progression, and metastasis. The aim of this study was to examine the value of platelet indices including platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT) in PTC. Material and Methods: 26 patients (19 female, 7 male) with PTC diagnosis were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and PTC. All patients who were included in the study were examined for complete blood count parameters. Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of age and gender. Leukocyte count, neutrophil count and percentage, lymphocyte count and percentage, platelet count, plateletcrit, and MPV were not statistically different between groups. PDW were significantly higher in patients with PTC than in those with PTMC. Conclusion: Our results show that patients with PTC have higher PDW levels compared to patients with PTMC. Elevated PDW in PTC may be useful in diagnosis of the disease and for better understanding of its pathogenesis.