Papillary thyroid carcinoma in black thyroids

Abstract

The finding of a black thyroid gland is unusual and disconcerting. To our knowledge, this is the first study aimed at documenting the malignant potential of black thyroid glands. This report documents that the risk of malignancy is higher in black thyroid compared to non-black thyroid glands. Furthermore, among those with papillary thyroid cancer, the presence of the pigment did not correlate with malignancy, multifocality, or tumor size.

Black Thyroid

“…For example, Kandil and colleagues reported finding thyroid cancer in 65% of patients with black thyroid 4. The cancer most frequently associated with black thyroid is papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), which has been observed in 30 to 39% of black thyroid cases.…”

Thyroid Cancer in Black Thyroid Glands: The Effect of Age and Race

“…We previously reported in a smaller series that 65% (41/63) of the patients who presented with black thyroid glands were found to have thyroid malignancy [1], while Bruins et al [8 ]reported a smaller incidence rate (30%) of malignancy in black thyroid. Although the incidence rates of malignancy in patients with black thyroid glands in both of these studies are inconsistent, they show a clear association between black thyroid glands and thyroid cancer potential.…”

“…The reported incidence of thyroid carcinoma in black thyroid ranges from 30-65% [1,8]. There is a well-documented gender and racial disparity associated with thyroid cancer.…”

“…Black thyroid pigmentation is an uncommon condition [1]. It is a macroscopically dark brown discoloration of the thyroid gland, which was first documented in a human as a macroscopically dark brown discoloration in 1976 [2].…”

“…Black thyroid glands are usually asymptomatic, but may be associated with changes in the thyroid function or with the presence of a thyroid mass [1]. …”