The incidence of thyroid papillary microcarcinoma has appeared to incr
ease over the last decade, probably because of more extensive use of s
erial slices for pathology. Prognosis is generally good, but the aggre
ssive nature of certain tumors justifies an examination of the differe
nt risk factors such as age, sex, histology type, tumor size, lymph no
de involvement, and extrathyroid extension in order to develop a manag
ement scheme. Published results have been rather hetereogeneous and do
not allow a clear conclusion.