Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma with pleomorphic giant cells—a case report

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Virchows Archiv Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) refers to a malignant tumour that displays an intermediate prognosis between well-differentiated carcinomas and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATC). In the thyroid, pleomorphic giant cells are observed in ATC or in some non-neoplastic thyroid diseases. We described the case of a 43-year-old woman with a 34-mm nodule in her thyroid right lobe. Microscopic examination revealed an encapsulated tumour with a main solid growth pattern and extensive capsular invasion. Multiple images of angioinvasion were observed. There was neither necrosis nor inflammation. Most of the tumour cells were medium-sized and intermingled with pleomorphic giant tumour cells with bizarre features. The immunoprofile (keratins +, TTF1+, Pax 8+) proved their thyroid origin. By NGS, no molecular alteration was identified. The patient was treated by surgery and radioiodine therapy and she has no recurrence after a follow-up of 24 months. Our case meets all the histological criteria of the Turin proposal for PDTC but with pleomorphic giant cells and is very different from ATC according to clinical, histological and immunohistochemical features. Pleomorphic tumour giant cells in thyroid carcinomas could be present in PDTC and do not always represent dedifferentiation and more aggressive carcinoma, thyroid neoplasm.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  1. WHO classification Lloyd RV. WHO Classification of Tumours of Endocrine Organs. IARC WHO Classification of Tumours. 2017, Vol. 10

  2. Hommell-Fontaine J, Borda A, Ragage F, Berger N, Decaussin-Petrucci M (2010) Nonconventional papillary thyroid carcinomas with pleomorphic tumor giant cells: a diagnostic pitfall with anaplastic carcinoma. Virchows Arch 456(6):661–670. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-010-0919-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ordonez NG, El-Naggar AK, Hickey RC et al (1991) Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Immunocytochemical study of 32 cases. Am J Clin Pathol 96:15–24

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Asioli S, Righi A, Volante M, Chiusa L, Lloyd RV, Bussolati G (2014) Cell size as a prognostic factor in oncocytic poorly differentiated carcinomas of the thyroid. Hum Pathol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humpath.2014.02.027

  5. Aratake Y, Nomura H, Kotani T, Marutsuka K, Kobayashi K, Kuma K, Miyauchi A, Okayama A, Okayama A (2006) Coexistent anaplastic and differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Am J Clin Pathol 125:399–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Paulsson JO, Zedenius J, Juhlin CC (2018) Papillary thyroid carcinoma with pleomorphic tumor giant cells in a pregnant woman – a case report. BMC Endocr Disord 18(1):46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-018-0275-x

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Yoo S-K, Song YS, Lee EK, Hwang J, Kim HH, Jung G, Kim YA, Kim S-j, Cho SW, Won J-K, Chung E-J, Shin J-Y, Lee KE, Kim J-I, Park YJ, Seo J-S (2019) Integrative analysis of genomic and transcriptomic characteristics associated with progression of aggressive thyroid cancer. Nat Commun 10:2764. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10680-5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Fagin JA, Samuel A (2016) Wells, biologic and clinical perspectives on thyroid cancer. N Engl J Med 375:1054–1067. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1501993

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network1 (2014) Integrated genomic characterization of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Cell 159:676–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Chen H, Luthra R, Routbort MJ, Patel KP, Cabanillas ME, Broaddus RR, Williams MD (2018) Molecular profile of advanced thyroid carcinomas by next-generation sequencing: characterizing tumors beyond diagnosis for targeted therapy. Mol Cancer Ther. https://doi.org/10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-17-0871

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathology Department, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pierre-Bénite, France

    Alexia Gazeu & Myriam Decaussin-Petrucci

  2. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pierre-Bénite, France

    Jonathan Lopez

  3. Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Team EMT and Cancer Cell Plasticity, Lyon 1 University, Villeurbanne, France

    Jonathan Lopez

  4. Department of Pathology and Tumor Biobank, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, Tours, France

    Serge Guyetant

  5. Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Manuel Sobrinho-Simoes

  6. Medical Faculty, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Manuel Sobrinho-Simoes

  7. Department of Pathology, Hospital de S. João, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    Manuel Sobrinho-Simoes

  8. Endocrine Surgery department, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pierre-Bénite, France

    J. C. Lifante

  9. Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon-Sud Hospital, Pierre-Bénite, France

    Christine Cugnet-Anceau

  10. ImmuCare (Immunology Cancer Research), Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France

    Christine Cugnet-Anceau

  11. Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM1052 CNRS5286, Lyon 1 University, Villeurbanne, France

    Myriam Decaussin-Petrucci

  12. Département de Biopathologie Sud, Hospices civils de Lyon – Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, 165 Chemin du Grand Revoyet, 69495, Pierre-Bénite, France

    Myriam Decaussin-Petrucci

Authors
  1. Alexia Gazeu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jonathan Lopez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Serge Guyetant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Manuel Sobrinho-Simoes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. C. Lifante
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Christine Cugnet-Anceau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Myriam Decaussin-Petrucci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MDP made the diagnosis; MSS reviewed the specimen; JL conducted the molecular analysis; CCA provided clinical data and follow-up information; all authors took part in writing the manuscript and approved the final, submitted version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Myriam Decaussin-Petrucci.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the ethical committee from the Hospices Civils de Lyon.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gazeu, A., Lopez, J., Guyetant, S. et al. Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma with pleomorphic giant cells—a case report. Virchows Arch 477, 597–601 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-020-02807-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-020-02807-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation