Incidental Finding of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in the Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) still remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the incidence of the co-existence of pHPT and PTC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2010 and 2013, all patients with pHPT were retrospectively reviewed and those undergoing concomitant thyroid surgery were recorded. Of these, patients with a pathological result showing papillary or micro-papillary thyroid cancer were included into the study. A chart review of 228 patients who underwent surgery for pHPT revealed 86 (37.7%) patients with concurrent thyroid disease requiring surgical treatment. RESULTS: Thyroid cancer was noted in six female patients (6.9%) undergoing thyroid resection, and 2.6% of all patients with pHPT. Four patients underwent total thyroidectomy while lobectomy was applied in the remaining two. None of the cases with lobectomy required a completion thyroidectomy. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the concurrence of PTC and pHPT at a rate of 2.6% which appeared as a coincidental pathology; however, thyroid disorders, seen in one of three patients with pHPT, were not uncommon. Further research is still needed to develop a reliable explanation for relationship between pHPT and non-medullary thyroid cancer.