ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Thyroid papillary carcinoma is the most common endocrine tumor. There are many known factors affecting the pathophysiology of papillary carcinomas. In this study, we attempted to determine the clinical characteristics of papillary carcinomas with other benign pathologies. METHODS: From May 2007 to December 2012, a total of 994 patients underwent thyroidectomy and were diagnosed as papillary carcinomas. Retrospective study was performed using medical records. We categorized them according to five groups depending on associated benign disease, Papillary carcinoma with Graves disease (Group 1), Multinodular goiter (Group 2), Hashimoto thyroiditis (Group 3), Multinodular goiter and Hashimoto thyroiditis (Group 4), and Papillary carcinoma only (Group 5), and we performed a comparison analysis. RESULTS: T and N stage of group 2 were lower than those of group 5 and T stage of group 3 was lower than that of group 4. T and N stage of group 4 were lower than those of group 5 and extrathyroidal extension rate of group 4 was lower than that of group 5. CONCLUSION: Papillary carcinomas have variable clinical characteristics according to underlying benign thyroid disease. Conduct of advanced research regarding the mechanisms of the effect of benign thyroid disease on papillary carcinomas is needed.