Abstract
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Objectives We aimed to define the descriptive data about the characteristics of papillary microcarcinomas (PMC) and the clinical outcomes of radioiodine therapy in PMC.
Methods A total of 186 PMC patients (155 female (%83.3) and 31 male (%16.7); mean age 48,43 + 11.29) who received radioiodine ablation (50-150mCi) between January 2004 - June 2010 were included in the study. The reports of the I-131 whole body scans performed at the 6. Day (posttherapy) and 6. month (diagnostic) of radioiodine and measurements of thyroglobulin (TG) and antithyroglobulin (ATG) both at the T4 off state and under suppression were noted. A descriptive analysis of the demographic data, the histopathological characteristics and clinical outcome was made.
Results The frequency of multifocality, capsule invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular invasion and coexisting thyroiditis at diagnosis were calculated as 10.8%, 14.6%, 6.4%, 1.6% and 11.3% respectively. In the follow up (mean: 33.34 ± 18.06 months) the rate of successful ablation at the 6. month was 93.5% while the rest of them had persistent uptake in the thyroid bed. 2 patients also had diffuse lung metastasis. In 1/186 patient (0.5%) local recurrence in the thyroid bed, in 7/186 patients (3.8%) lymph node metastasis and in 1/186 patient diffuse lung metastasis (0.5%) was observed during follow up.
Conclusions Radioiodine ablation is beneficial in the management of papillary microcarcinomas as it helps treatment of clinically silent microcarcinomas existing in the residual thyroid tissue, regional lymph nodes or distant organs and improves the sensitivity of thyroglobulin and antithyroglobulin