WHO 2022 updates on follicular cell and c-cell derived thyroid neoplasm

J Med Life. 2024 Jan;17(1):15-23. doi: 10.25122/jml-2023-0270.

Abstract

The latest edition of the WHO Classification of thyroid tumors was released in 2022 and incorporates novel concepts vital to patient management. Thyroid follicular nodular disease is a term used to collectively represent a wide variety of benign and non-neoplastic lesions, including both clonal and non-clonal proliferations that manifest clinically as multinodular goiter. Thyroid neoplasms develop from follicular cells and can be either benign, low-risk, or malignant. To avoid classifying all lesions under 1 cm in diameter as low-risk illnesses, the new classification method highlights the need for subtyping papillary thyroid cancer based on histomorphologic indicators rather than tumor size. Formerly known as the cribriform-morular variety of papillary thyroid carcinoma, this tumor is now more commonly referred to by its more accurate name, cribriform-morular thyroid carcinoma. Its histogenesis is unknown. Similar to the traditional definition of 'poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma' according to the Turin criteria, the newly defined 'differentiated high-grade thyroid carcinoma' encompasses papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid carcinomas, and oncocytic carcinomas with high-grade characteristics linked to worse prognosis. The squamous cell subtype of anaplastic thyroid cancer has also recently been characterized as a distinct morphologic pattern. In this article, we will discuss the latest revision to the World Health Organization's classification system for thyroid cancer.

Keywords: C-cell neoplasm; Follicular cell neoplasm; Thyroid neoplasm.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma, Follicular* / pathology
  • Humans
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / classification
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / pathology
  • World Health Organization*