CLINICAL AND PARACLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA IN PATIENTS AGED ≥55 YEARS AT K HOSPITAL
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Abstract
Objective: To describe several clinical and paraclinical characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma in patients aged ≥55 years who underwent surgical treatment at K Hospital.
Patients and Methods: A prospective descriptive study was conducted on 236 patients aged ≥55 years diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma at K Hospital. Clinical characteristics, thyroid ultrasonographic findings, and fine-needle aspiration cytology results were collected, processed, and analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: The mean age of the study population was 62.2 ± 5.8 years, ranging from 55 to 79 years, and females accounted for 81.8%. Most patients were incidentally diagnosed through routine health examinations (78.8%). On clinical examination, palpable thyroid nodules were detected in 71.2% of patients. Cervical lymph nodes were clinically detected in 36 patients (15.3%), predominantly involving lateral cervical lymph nodes. On ultrasonography, the mean tumor size was 10.9 ± 8.1 mm, with the majority of tumors measuring ≤10 mm (66.9%). The tumor was most frequently located in the right thyroid lobe (44.1%), followed by the left lobe (36.4%). Most patients had a single thyroid tumor (84.3%). According to the 2017 ACR TI-RADS classification system, TI-RADS 5 lesions were identified in 129 patients (54.7%), while TI-RADS 4 lesions accounted for 45.3%. Fine-needle aspiration cytology results were mainly classified as Bethesda category V and Bethesda category VI, accounting for 55.9% and 44.1%, respectively. Concomitant medical comorbidities were observed in 46.6% of patients.
Conclusion: Papillary thyroid carcinoma in patients aged ≥55 years occurred predominantly in females and was commonly detected incidentally through routine health examinations. Most tumors were small in size, with the majority presenting as solitary lesions located within a single thyroid lobe on ultrasonography. Ultrasonographic findings were mainly classified as ACR TI-RADS 4 or TI-RADS 5, while cytological results were concentrated in Bethesda categories V and VI. Recognition of these characteristics may contribute to accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment strategy selection for elderly patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Keywords
Papillary thyroid carcinoma, patients aged ≥55 years, clinical characteristics, thyroid ultrasonography, cytology
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References
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