Exploring the Rare Hobnail Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report

TL;DR

This paper reports a case of a rare and aggressive thyroid cancer variant called hobnail papillary thyroid carcinoma in a 58-year-old male, highlighting its distinct features and treatment with radiotherapy.

Contribution

The contribution is a detailed case report of HPTC, emphasizing its clinical presentation and management.

Findings

HPTC is a rare and aggressive thyroid cancer variant with distinct cytomorphological features.

The patient was managed with radiotherapy following diagnosis.

HPTC is associated with genetic mutations such as BRAFV600E, TP53, and TERT.

Abstract

The hobnail variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (HPTC) is a rare but highly aggressive form of thyroid cancer, associated with a more severe clinical course and significantly poorer prognosis compared to conventional PTC. To be classified as HPTC, a tumor must contain at least 30% of cells exhibiting hobnail-micropapillary features. These cells are characterized by distinctive papillary cytomorphology, including a hobnail-like appearance, the presence of papillae and micropapillae, high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratios, apically located nuclei, and prominent nucleoli. Additionally, some studies have reported associations between HPTC and specific genetic mutations, such as BRAFV600E, TP53, and TERT. In this article, we present the case of a 58-year-old male diagnosed with HPTC, managed with radiotherapy.

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