Popis: |
Background: The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased dramatically in recent decades. This study examined the features and outcomes of multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma (MPTC).Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 300 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Patients were classified into a multifocal PTC group and a unifocal PTC group. The pathological features of the PTC and the patients’ outcomes were analyzed and compared.Results: The occurrence of multifocality was higher in females than in males: odds ratio (OR): 2.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–4.67, and p = 0.01. Patients in the multifocal group had a larger tumor size (3.63 cm ± 1.66 cm) than patients in the unifocal group (2 cm, p = 0.02), and higher lymph node metastasis (LNM): OR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.49–3.77, p = 0.0003. In addition, most patients in the multifocal group had a moderate risk of recurrence than in the unifocal group: OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.01–2.6, and p = 0.04. At follow-up, the thyroglobulin (Tg) plasma levels (p = 0.03) and disease recurrence were significantly higher in the multifocal group than in the unifocal group (OR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.15–6.44, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Patients with MPTC had a higher risk of disease recurrence, and multifocality was considered to be an independent prognostic factor for overall disease recurrence. |