Pathomorphology of thyroid gland lesions associated with radiation exposure: The Chernobyl experience and review of the literature

The common sources of ionizing radiation exposure to the thyroid gland in h umans are accidental environmental exposure and medical, therapeutic, or di agnostic irradiation. Radiation often inducer; notable histologic changes i n the thyroid tissue and is a well-established risk factor for benign and m alignant thyroid tumors. In this paper, we review the acute and chronic his tologic changes in the thyroid gland subjected to irradiation, and characte rize benign thyroid nodules and malignant tumors arising after exposure, wi th particular emphasis on thyroid lesions in the population exposed to ioni zing radiation as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.