Analysis of the Clinicopathologic Features of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma Based on 7-mm Tumor Size

作者：Lee Kwan Ju; Cho Yun Jung; Kim Say Jun; Lee Sang Chul; Kim Jeong Goo; Ahn Chang Joon; Lee Dong Ho^*

来源：World Journal of Surgery, 2011, 35(2): 318-323.

DOI：10.1007/s00268-010-0886-5

We examined the clinicopathologic features of papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs) measuring a parts per thousand currency sign7 mm and compared them with those of PTMCs > 7 mm.
Between January 2007 and June 2009, a total of 275 patients with PTMCs underwent surgery. They were divided into two groups. Group I included patients with tumors a parts per thousand currency sign7 mm, and group II included those with tumors > 7 mm but a parts per thousand currency sign10 mm. We compared the two groups' clinicopathologic features.
Total thyroidectomy was more often performed in group II (p = 0.003). Central lymph node metastases were identified in 30.6% of the patients in group I and in 47.8% of the patients in group II (p = 0.005). A statistically significant difference between the two groups was also found for capsule invasion (p < 0.0001), extrathyroidal extension (p = 0.005), and lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.025). On the multivariate analysis, central lymph node metastasis was the only independent factor associated with tumor size.
A PTMC a parts per thousand currency sign7 mm is less likely to have aggressive features, including central lymph node metastasis, capsule invasion, extrathyroidal extension, and lymphovascular invasion, than a PTMC > 7 mm. Because the aggressiveness of PTMC was found mainly in the patients with tumors > 7 mm, we think that a cutoff value of 7 mm may be considered the threshold of aggressiveness of PTMCs.

• 出版日期2011-2