Thyroid & parathyroid
Thyroiditis
Radiation thyroiditis
Author: Shahid Islam, M.D., Ph.D.
Last author update: 1 March 2009
Last staff update: 19 September 2023
Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: radiation induced thyroiditis
Cite this page: Islam S. Radiation thyroiditis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/thyroidradiationthyroiditis.html. Accessed December 25th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Histologic changes vary with dose and type of radioactive isotope
- Low doses to tonsils cause nodular hyperplasia of thyroid, follicular disruption, focal hemorrhagic necrosis, neutrophil infiltration
- Radioactive iodine may cause large bizarre cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and prominent nucleoli or nuclear features of papillary carcinoma; cells are in clusters and sheets accompanied by lymphocytes, histiocytes and Hürthle cells (Am J Clin Pathol 1997;107:20)
- External radiation (for lymphoma) causes hypercellularity, lymphocyte infiltration, adenomatous nodules, oncocytic metaplasia, fibrosis and atypia; chronic changes include fibrosis, atrophy and vascular change
- Post Chernobyl changes include antithyroperoxidase antibodies, but no thyroid dysfunction (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:2729)
- Childhood radiation is associated with high frequency of allelic loss (Mod Pathol 2008;21:1176)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Contributed by Andrey Bychkov, M.D., Ph.D. and AFIP
Small nodule of atypical cells with bizarre nuclei
Large eosinophilic cells
Small regenerative nodule
Compensatory nodular hyperplasia
Prominent nuclear atypia / pleomorphism
Postnecrotic hyalinosis of colloid nodule
Intact parathyroid versus highly atrophic thyroid follicles
Hyalinized vessel wall
Bizarre nuclear changes
Papillary changes
Images hosted on other servers:
Hyperplastic epithelium and atypia
