Warthin-Like Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: An Uncommon Variant

Tarun Kumar; Jitendra S Nigam; Prerna Tewari; Chandan K Jha

doi:10.7759/cureus.12350

Warthin-Like Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: An Uncommon Variant

Cureus. 2020 Dec 28;12(12):e12350. doi: 10.7759/cureus.12350.

Authors

Tarun Kumar¹, Jitendra S Nigam¹, Prerna Tewari², Chandan K Jha³

Affiliations

¹ Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND.
² Pathology/Lab Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND.
³ Endocrine Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND.

Abstract

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is one of the most common thyroid malignancy with various histologic variants. Acknowledging the correct histological variant of PTC helps to know about the tumor's nature and prognosis. The Warthin-like variant of papillary thyroid (WLPTC), a newly described histologic variant of PTC, is relatively uncommon. A 16-year-old female presented with complaints of painful thyroid swelling for two years. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) from the lobes showed lymphocytic thyroiditis features with Hurthle cell change. Sections from the left lobe revealed a diagnosis of a Warthin‑like variant of PTC without nodal metastasis. WLPTC is a rare variant having a favorable outcome due to the absence of lymph node metastasis, extra-thyroidal extension, and a low recurrence rate. The correct cytological and histomorphological features are of utmost importance to render the diagnosis of WLPTC for better management.

Keywords: cytology; salivary gland; thyroid; warthin tumor.

Publication types

Case Reports