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J Clin Pathol 2006;59:1094-1096 doi:10.1136/jcp.2005.029017
  • Case report

Worrisome histologic alterations following fine-needle aspiration of the parathyroid

  1. S Alwaheeb1,
  2. G Rambaldini2,
  3. S Boerner1,
  4. C Coiré3,
  5. J Fiser4,
  6. S L Asa1
  1. 1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, University Health Network and Toronto Medical Laboratories, Toronto, Canada
  2. 2Department of Medicine (Endocrinology), University of Toronto
  3. 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Trillium Health Centre, Mississauga, Ontario
  4. 4Department of Pathology, Lakeridge Health Centre, Oshawa, Ontario
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr S L Asa
 Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, University Health Network and Toronto Medical Laboratories, 200 Elizabeth Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada; sylvia.asa{at}uhn.on.ca
  • Accepted 13 June 2005

Abstract

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a procedure that is increasingly being performed. Artefacts occurring after FNA are reported to complicate the histological analysis of the tissue, mainly in the thyroid; WHAFFT (worrisome histologic alterations following FNA of thyroid) is well documented in the literature. The case of a male patient with hypercalcaemia who was subsequently found to have a nodule in the thyroid gland is reported here. He underwent FNA, followed by a total thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. The abnormality in the parathyroid gland showed worrisome histological changes that were suspicious of a malignant lesion, resembling the changes seen in the thyroid gland after FNA. Parathyroid cells were identified by a review of the previous FNA. The concept of WHAFFT, which can mimic the features of malignancy in the parathyroid gland, is therefore introduced.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

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