Scattered psammomatous calcifications around papillary thyroid carcinoma

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although psammomatous calcification is a characteristic pathologic feature of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the clinical meaning of histologically determined scattered psammomatous calcifications around PTC is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of scattered psammomatous calcifications around PTC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2009 and July 2009, a total of 546 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for PTC were enrolled. They were classified into two groups: patients with scattered psammomatous calcifications and patients without psammomatous calcifications. The clinical findings, preoperative diagnostic findings, and histopathologic features were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Scattered psammomatous calcifications around PTC were found in 209 patients (38 %), and mostly in younger patients (p = 0.007), those with infiltrative tumor margin (p = 0.022), those with capsule invasion (p = 0.013), and those with lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001). No statistical significance was found in gender, tumor size, multiplicity, and coexisting lymphocytic thyroiditis. CONCLUSIONS: Although further studies with large-scale, long-term follow-up will be necessary to validate the relationship between scattered psammomatous calcifications and prognosis, scattered psammomatous calcification around PTC may have correlations with the aggressiveness of the PTC.