Purpose
Hurthle cell neoplasm of the thyroid gland is a rare disease. The reported cases in Korea are not so many; thus, there has been a lack of common therapeutic and prognostic guidance. Methods
The cases of 15 patients with a Hurthle cell neoplasm of the thyroid gland, hospitalized at Seoul National University Hospital from Nov. 1981 to Feb. 1998, were retrospectively reviewed. Results
There were 4 males and 11 females. The ages varied from 23 to 69 years old (mean: 46.3 years old). Among them, 13 had neck masses with a mean size of 3.3 cm (1.2∼6.0 cm), and the mean duration of the symptom was 4 years (5 months∼8 years). Of
the
other two, one had laryngeal discomfort for 2 months, and the other one was diagnosed through a fine needle aspiration follow-up. One of the 15 patients had hyperthyroidism whereas the others had euthyroidism. The thyroid scans for 10 of them
showed
cold nodules. The operations consisted of a unilateral lobectomy in 2 cases, a unilateral lobectomy and isthmectomy in
11 cases, a unilateral lobectomy, isthmectomy and contralateral partial lobectomy in 1 case, and a total thyroidectomy and neck lymph node dissection in the 1 case that was combined with a papillary carcinoma. Thirteen patients (86.7%) had a
Hurthle
cell adenoma, and two of them (13.3%) had a Hurthle cell carcinoma. The mean duration of follow-up was 33 months (range 1 month∼12 years), and no recurrence or death occurred during the follow-up period. Conclusions
The incidence of Hurthle cell neoplasms is higher in women and the sex ratio is 1：2.8. The incidence of Hurthle cell carcinomas among Hurthle cell neoplasms is 13.3% (2/15). We found no specific clinical features for differentiating a Hurthle
cell
adenoma from a Hurthle cell carcinoma and no factors for adequate operative methods and prognosis due to the rarity of the condition and the short duration of the follow-up. Because of the low incidence of Hurthle cell neoplasms and our limited
experience, not only co-research of centers but also pathologic research is needed.
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