Thyroid & parathyroid
Thyroiditis
Radiation thyroiditis
Author: Shahid Islam, M.D., Ph.D.
Last author update: 1 March 2009
Last staff update: 16 September 2020
Copyright: 2003-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: radiation induced thyroiditis
Cite this page: Islam S. Radiation thyroiditis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/thyroidradiationthyroiditis.html. Accessed March 30th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Histologic changes vary with dose and type of radioactive isotope
- Low doses to tonsils cause nodular hyperplasia of thyroid, follicular disruption, focal hemorrhagic necrosis, neutrophil infiltration
- Radioactive iodine may cause large bizarre cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and prominent nucleoli or nuclear features of papillary carcinoma; cells are in clusters and sheets accompanied by lymphocytes, histiocytes and Hürthle cells (Am J Clin Pathol 1997;107:20)
- External radiation (for lymphoma) causes hypercellularity, lymphocyte infiltration, adenomatous nodules, oncocytic metaplasia, fibrosis and atypia; chronic changes include fibrosis, atrophy and vascular change
- Post Chernobyl changes include antithyroperoxidase antibodies, but no thyroid dysfunction (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:2729)
- Childhood radiation is associated with high frequency of allelic loss (Mod Pathol 2008;21:1176)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Contributed by Andrey Bychkov, M.D., Ph.D.
Small nodule of atypical cells with bizarre nuclei
Large
eosinophilic cells
Small regenerative nodule
Compensatory nodular hyperplasia
Prominent nuclear atypia / pleomorphism
Postnecrotic hyalinosis of colloid nodule
Intact parathyroid vs. highly atrophic thyroid follicles
Hyalinized vessel wall
AFIP images
Bizarre nuclear changes
Papillary changes
Images hosted on other servers:
Hyperplastic epithelium and atypia
