TUMORS OF THE THYROID AND PARATHYROID GLANDS (AFIP ATLAS OF TUMOR AND NON-TUMOR PATHOLOGY, SERIES 5, VOL. 23)

Front Matter
1: Normal Thyroid Gland
2: Molecular Alterations in Thyroid Tumors
3: General Features of Thyroid Tumors
4: Classification of Thyroid Tumors
5: Follicular Adenoma and Subtypes
6: Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features and Related Entities
7: Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma
8: Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Subtypes
9: High-Grade Follicular Cell-Derived Non-Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinomas
10: Anaplastic (Undifferentiated) Thyroid Carcinoma
11: Oncocytic Thyroid Tumors
12: Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma
13: Mesenchymal Thyroid Tumors
14: Malignant Lymphoma of the Thyroid Gland and Related Lesions
15: Miscellaneous Thyroid Tumors
16: Secondary Tumors of the Thyroid Gland
17: Tumor-Like Conditions of the Thyroid Gland
18: Benign Thyroid Tissue in Abnormal Locations
19: Cytopathology of Thyroid Tumors
20: Clinical Aspects of Thyroid Tumors
21: The Normal Parathyroid Gland
22: Physiology and Pathophysiology of Parathyroid Glands
23: Parathyroid Adenoma and Atypical Parathyroid Tumors
24: Parathyroid Carcinoma
25: Multiglandular Parathyroid Disease and Hereditary Hyperparathyroidism

It has been more than a decade since the publication of the previous Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) Atlas on Tumors of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands by J. Rosai, R. A. DeLellis, M. L. Carcangiu, W.G. Frable, and G. Tallini (4th series, 2014). Sadly, Drs. Rosai, Carcangiu, and DeLellis passed away recently after illustrious careers focusing on the advancement of thyroid and parathyroid pathology. This fascicle builds on their accomplishments and reflects the many advances that have occurred during the last ten years in the molecular, cytologic and histopathologic analysis as well as the clinical management of thyroid and parathyroid tumors.

In this Fascicle, we adopt the current 5th edition of the WHO Classification of Endocrine Tumors and describe in detail the histologic findings of each tumor with a strong emphasis on differential diagnosis. In view of the growing importance of the molecular pathology of thyroid tumors, the reader will find a detailed explanation of each genetic alteration in thyroid tumors in the chapter “Molecular Alterations in Thyroid Tumors.” For the purpose of aiding the diagnosis, each chapter dedicated to a histologic thyroid or parathyroid entity contains a paragraph describing its molecular profile. Given the importance of preoperative diagnosis in the management of thyroid nodules, the chapter on thyroid cytology has been extensively remodeled and expanded and now follows the current Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology. In every chapter, the paragraph on prognosis and therapy is based on the most recent literature and on the American Thyroid Association and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (United States) guidelines.

Dr. Bin Xu wrote the chapters on the general features and classification of thyroid tumors as well as those on anaplastic, mesenchymal, and secondary tumors of the thyroid. Dr. Xu also wrote the chapters on the normal parathyroid, physiology and pathophysiology of parathyroid glands, parathyroid adenoma and atypical parathyroid tumors. Dr. Justine Barletta wrote the chapters on follicular thyroid adenoma and carcinoma, miscellaneous thyroid-related tumors, multiglandular parathyroid disease, secondary and tertiary parathyroid hyperplasia. Dr. Giovanni Tallini wrote the chapters on the cytology of thyroid tumors and lymphomas of the thyroid gland. Dr. Ronald Ghossein wrote the chapter on normal thyroid and all the remaining chapters on thyroid and parathyroid tumors.

We are grateful to Dr. Jason Hornick for his guidance and patience; to Ms. Elizabeth Tomlinson, Ms. Dian Thomas, and Ms. Heidi Guerrero for their expert editorial assistance and to the many pathologists with whom we collaborated and exchanged opinions over the years. Among these experts, we owe special thanks to Dr. Manuel Sobrinho-Simoes, Dr. Yuri Nikiforov, Dr. Zubair Baloch, and the late Dr. Virginia LiVolsi.

We hope this fascicle will fulfill its two essential goals. One aim is to aid physicians and biologists in better understanding tumors and tumor-like lesions of the parathyroid and thyroid glands. The other paramount goal is to help pathologists diagnose, predict the behavior, and guide the management of patients afflicted with tumors and related lesions of these organs.

Ronald Ghossein, MD
Bin Xu, MD, PhD
Justine A. Barletta, MD
Giovanni Tallini, MD