Tall cell variant: An aggressive form of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Twenty-four cases of the fall cell variant (TCV), a subset of papillary thy roid carcinoma, were identified in a group of 624 patients with thyroid can cer. All pathology specimens were reviewed, and each patient's carcinoma wa s categorized according to characteristics on presentation, local recurrenc e, distant metastases, follow-up, and tumor-related mortality. The TCV grou p was compared with a historical control group (Mazzaferri and Jhiang: 1355 patients). The TCV group had a statistically higher percentage of stage 3 and 4 carcinoma, extrathyroidal invasion, and tumor size less than 1.5 cm t han the control group. There was no statistical relationship between age gr eater than 50 years and stage in the TCV group. No relationship could be fo und between TCV histology and recurrence or mortality These findings, combi ned with those of studies that link stage on presentation to poor outcomes, have led to our conclusion that TCV is an aggressive malignancy warranting appropriate treatment and close follow-up.