Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28536894›Full record

ArticleHead and neck pathology2018

Can Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Arise in Thyroglossal Duct Cysts? A Search for Parafollicular C-cells in 41 Resected Cases.

Tracy Stein, Paari Murugan, Faqian Li, Mohamed I El Hag

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Head and neck pathology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. [Clinical diagnosis, treatment and lessons learned of thyroglossal duct carcinoma: a report of 3 cases].Lin chuang er bi yan hou tou jing wai ke za zhi = Journal of clinical otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Tracy SteinUniversity of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Paari MuruganDepartment of Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Faqian LiDepartment of Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Mohamed I El HagDepartment of Anatomic Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3459 Fifth ave suite E-733, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. elhag.m@gmail.com.
University of Minnesota Medical Center · USUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) are present in ~7% of adults and develop from the midline migratory tract between the foramen cecum and anatomic location of the thyroid. Thyroid tissue can be identified in 2/3 of TGDCs, and up to 1% develop associated malignancy, 90% of which are papillary thyroid carcinoma. Cases of follicular and anaplastic carcinoma have been documented, but there are no reports of medullary thyroid carcinoma arising in a TGDC. This is presumably due to the distinct embryologic origin of parafollicular C-cells, from which medullary carcinoma arises. The goal of this study is to determine whether parafollicular C-cells are present in TGDCs. H&E sections from 41 TGDC cases were examined for thyroid tissue, thyroglossal duct remnants, ultimobranchial remnants, and parafollicular C-cells. Immunohistochemistry was performed for TTF-1 and calcitonin. Eighty three percent (34/41) of cases contained thyroid tissue on H&E and by TTF-1. No cases (0/41) had ultimobranchial remnants or parafollicular C-cells on H&E or with calcitonin. One case of papillary carcinoma in a TGDC was identified. These cases illustrate that although TGDCs often contain thyroid tissue, parafollicular C-cells are absent. Therefore, unlike other thyroid neoplasms, there is no evidence to support the possibility of medullary carcinoma arising in a TGDC.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultCarcinoma, NeuroendocrineChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesThyroglossal CystThyroid NeoplasmsYoung AdultCarcinomaMedullaryParafollicular C-cellsThyroglossalThyroid

Identifiers

PMID28536894
PMCPMC5873481
OpenAlexW2617987693

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.