Cytologic changes induced by ¹³¹I in the thyroid glands of patients with hyperthyroidism; results of fine needle aspiration cytology

Abstract

Cytological changes in the thyroid glands of 120 patients who had received 131I treatment for hyperthyroidism were examined in detail. The cytological material was obtained by fine needle aspiration cytology. The patients were divided into four groups according to the amount of time elapsed after the 131I treatment. The control groups were selected from euthyroid patients with hypoactive or non-functional solitary nodules and patients with Graves' disease who had not received 131I therapy. The thyrocytes revealed degenerative changes in the immediate period after cessation of treatment. One year after the treatment some non-specific changes, such as oxyphilic metaplasia and regeneration, were seen. No malignant change has been observed clinically or cytologically during up to 20 years of follow up since receiving 131I.

Papillary carcinoma masquerading as clinically toxic adenoma in very young children

“…Both children included in that series had benign adenomas (13) . A study by Oz et al reported thyroid carcinoma in two individuals (one follicular variant of papillary carcinoma and one follicular carcinoma) among 17 patients, aged 13 -68 years, with AFTNs.…”

“…Some non-specifi c histologic changes may appear in the thyroid after the treatment of hyperthyroidism with radioactive iodine (13) . In the FNABs carried out after radioiodine therapy, nuclear changes suggestive of either papillary or anaplastic carcinoma may be seen (23) .…”

Radioactive Iodine-Associated Cytomorphologic Alterations in Thyroid Follicular Epithelium: Is Recognition Possible in Fine-Needle Aspiration Specimens?

“…All of the abnormal cytologic features described in this case have been mentioned in the literature on this topic, except perhaps for psammoma bodies. [5][6][7][8][9][10][12][13][14] Although psammomatous calcifications are strongly correlated to papillary carcinomas, they have been reported in benign hyperplastic thyroid nodules. 21 Their presence is therefore not pathognomonic of papillary cancer.…”

“…9 Both squamous and glandular metaplasia may be noted, and the acute vascular changes of eosinophilic cuffing and telangiectasia can also persist into the chronic phase. 8,9 Cytomorphologic Changes Associated With Radioactive Iodine Therapy Unlike the above-described half-century history of histologic data, reports and studies pertaining to the cytologic findings seen in needle aspiration specimens from thyroid nodules in patients who have received 131 I treatment for hyperthyroidism are much more recent, with most of the articles occurring in the last 5 yr. [12][13][14] The largest series published on this topic, by Oz et al, contains detailed descriptions of both acute and chronic changes seen in patients from Istanbul. 12 These recent works indicate that features such as nuclear and cellular enlargement (with relative preservation of nuclear/cytoplasmic ratios), coarse chromatin, anisonucleosis, hyperchromasia, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and nuclear atypia may be appreciated in the acute period following 131 I administration.…”

Cytologic Findings in Thyroid Nodules After131I Treatment of Hyperthyroidism

“…1011 Because of the critical importance of recognizing benign radiation-induced changes, it is surprising this subject has received so little attention in the cytology literature. Oz et al 10 described the cytologic findings in FNA specimens of the thyroid gland in 120 patients at two intervals after treatment with 131 I: within 1 month after treatment (50 patients) a n d 1 to 20 years after t r e a t m e n t (70 patients). Only Giemsa-stained material was illustrated.…”