Papillary thyroid carcinoma diagnosed after radiof requency ablation of thyroid nodules with initially benign cytology.

Authors

Yusuf Öztürk, Penbe Gül Ergün

Published in

Archives of endocrinology and metabolism. Volume 70. Issue 6. Nov 05, 2026. Epub Nov 05, 2026.

Abstract

Thyroid nodules are common in the general population, with the majority being benign. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has emerged as an effective, minimally invasive alternative to surgery for managing benign nodules, demonstrating favorable outcomes regarding volume reduction and symptom control. However, rare cases of malignancy have been reported following RFA, raising concerns about potential diagnostic limitations or malignant transformation. We present the case of a 60-year-old female with two thyroid nodules, both initially classified as EU-TIRADS3 and reported as benign following two separate fine-needle aspiration biopsies. Due to cosmetic and compressive symptoms, the patient underwent RFA. Duringfollow-up, the nodules demonstrated regrowth and repeat cytology of the first nodule revealed atypia of undetermined significance. Thyroidectomy was subsequently performed, and histopathological analysis identified encapsulated classic-type papillary thyroid carcinoma in both nodules. Immunohistochemical analysis showed positivityfor HBME-1, galectin-3, and CK19,with negativity for CD56. This case illustrates that, despite the established safety and efficacy of RFA for benign thyroid nodules, regrowth or suboptimal response, particularly in large nodules, require meticulous long-term follow-up.

PMID:
43024762
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Nov 2026.

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