Thyroid hyperplasia

Author: Mikael Häggström
Thyroid hyperplasia as a histopathological diagnosis corresponds mainly to the clinical diagnoses of toxic multinodular goiter and Grave's disease (the latter usually shows more prominent hyperplasia).

Gross processing

Further information: Thyroid

Microscopic evaluation

• 
  Diffuse thyroid hyperplasia typically shows variably sized follicles.
• 
  Thyroid hyperplasia with a hyperplastic nodule. It characteristically has no capsule (distinguishing it from thyroid adenoma or carcinoma).
• 
  The follicular linings may be thickened, with papillary projections (but lack nuclear features of papillary thyroid carcinoma).
• 
  The epithelium may also be flattened by enlarged follicles.
• 
  It can show hypercellular or microfollicular areas. There is no surrounding capsule (in contrast, a thyroid follicular adenoma or thyroid follicular carcinoma is generally encapsulated).
• 
  As shown, it can have mildly enlarged nuclei with mildly clumped chromatin, and clear cytoplasms, but cellular characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma are absent.
• 
  Thyroid hyperplasia with a Sanderson polster, which is a group of small follicles that protrude into the lumen of a larger follicle. It should not be confused for papillary projections.
• 
  Various forms of degeneration are typically seen, with various forms pictured.

Reporting

Example:

Right and left thyroid lobe, total thyroidectomy: Multinodular hyperplasia with focal chronic inflammation. Negative for malignancy.

Main page

• Main page of Patholines