Thyroid & parathyroid

Papillary thyroid carcinoma

Other subtypes

Encapsulated follicular



Last author update: 1 March 2009
Last staff update: 28 August 2023

Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: papillary carcinoma thyroid encapsulated

Shahid Islam, M.D., Ph.D.
Page views in 2023: 4,699
Page views in 2024 to date: 1,431
Cite this page: Islam S. Encapsulated follicular. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/thyroidencapsulatedfollicularvariant.html. Accessed March 28th, 2024.
Definition / general
  • Encapsulated follicular neoplasm with features of encapsulated and follicular variant of papillary carcinoma
  • Commonly sent for consultation
Diagnosis
  • Recommended to use strict criteria for diagnosis, and to classify questionable cases as well differentiated thyroid neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential (Am J Clin Pathol 2002;117:16)
Prognostic factors
  • Excellent prognosis, better than nonencapsulated follicular variant (Cancer 2006;107:1255)
  • May have late bone metastases with follicular pattern but without papillary nuclear features (Mod Pathol 2000;13:861)
Microscopic (histologic) description
  • Capsular and vascular invasion may be present; if no capsular or vascular invasion present, should have widespread nuclear features of papillary carcinoma PLUS some additional features of papillary carcinoma (papillae, fibrous bands, dense eosinophilic colloid), otherwise diagnose as follicular adenoma or well differentiated thyroid neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential
Microscopic (histologic) images

Contributed by Andrey Bychkov, M.D., Ph.D.

Enlarged vesicular nuclei with irregular membranes

Evident major and minor diagnostic features

Minor diagnostic features

Free floating of small tumor fragment in vascular lumen

Small piece of tumor floats in vascular lumen



Images hosted on other servers:

Encapsulated follicular
lesion with nuclear
features of papillary
carcinoma (inset)

Capsular invasion

3 cm tumor in 51 year old man (fig. 1)

Cytology description
  • Ultrafast Papanicolaou stained smears makes clear nuclei more conspicuous (Cancer 2006;108:174)
Cytology images

Images hosted on other servers:

Ultrafast Pap stain

Diff-Quik versus
Ultrafast Pap staining of
follicular adenoma and
follicular variant
Back to top
Image 01 Image 02