HISTOPATHOLOGICAL REVIEW OF THYROID DISEASE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT TEACHING HOSPITAL-A TEN YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY (1999-2008)

Abstract

This is a retrospective study of the histopathological pattern of thyroid diseases
seen in department of Anatomical Pathology of the University of Port Harcourt
Teaching Hospital from 1999-2008. Diseases of the thyroid gland presents with
either an alteration of hormone secretion or as enlargement of the thyroid gland,
previous reviews have shown that thyroid diseases pattern varies with regional
and socioeconomic factors.
All the histopathologically confirmed thyroid diseases seen within the ten year
period were reviewed based on the format of metabolic, inflammatory and
malignant disease while the neoplasms were classified based on the W. H. O
classification of tumours 2002. A total of 139 cases of thyroid diseases were
seen, out of which 133 were reviewed because of incomplete forms and
inability to find slides and blocks.
There were 121 females (91%) and 12 males (9%) with female: male ratio of
10:1.Non neoplastic disorders were 91 (68.4%) and neoplastic disorders 42
(31.6%). Their distribution according to major histologic types is as follows;
Goitre 79 (59.4%) which included simple colloid goitre 65(48.9%) and
multinodular goitre 14 (10.5%), Toxic hyperplasia 2 (1.5%), Thyroiditis
3(2.3%), Cystic diseases 7 (5.3%), Adenoma 22 (16.6%) and carcinoma 20
(15%).Follicular adenoma was the commonest neoplastic disorder with 22 of
the 42 cases (52.4%) and female to male ratio of 6:1.Of the malignant diseases,
papillary carcinoma was the commonest entity 11 out of 20 (55%), followed by
follicular carcinoma 6 cases (30%), medullary carcinoma 2 cases (10%), and 1
case of poorly differentiated carcinoma (5%). The age range for papillary
carcinoma was 20-40 year while that of follicular carcinoma 50-70 year and
overall, malignancy showed a female to male ratio of 4:1.
This study showed that thyroid diseases are not very common. Majority are
benign and are seen mostly in women. Colloid goitre is the commonest
histological disease. It also showed neoplastic disorder to be the second group
of histological diseases and papillary carcinoma is the commonest malignant
disease.

HISTOPATHOLOGICAL REVIEW OF THYROID DISEASE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT TEACHING HOSPITAL-A TEN YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY (1999-2008)