Macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma - Report of a case with fine needle aspiration biopsy findings

BACKGROUND: Macrofollicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma is defin ed as a combination of numerous macrofollicles occupying 50% of the tumor a nd foci of the conventional follicular variant of papillary carcinoma. To t he best of our knowledge, there have been no English-language reports on it s cytologic findings. CASE: A fine needle aspiration specimen from a mass of the thyroid in a 59- year-old female showed a large collection of dense, inspissated colloid and a few sheets of tumor cells with nuclei characteristic of papillary carcin oma. There were no three-dimensional, branching papillae with fibrovascular cores. CONCLUSION: Although macrofollicular variant of papillary carcinoma is very rare, fine needle aspiration cytology may contribute to its correct diagno sis.