Table 1.
Cytological findings of tall cell variant and conventional papillary thyroid carcinomas
| Cytological findings | Tall cell variant (n = 19) | Conventional (n = 50) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Foam cells | 4 (21.1%) | 11 (22.0%) | N.S. |
| Lymphocytes | 1 (5.3%) | 16 (32.0%) | .0274 | |
| Multinucleated giant cells | 13 (68.4%) | 28 (56.0%) | N.S. | |
| Watery colloid | 0 (0.0%) | 8 (16.0%) | N.S. | |
| Ropy colloid | 6 (31.6%) | 8 (16.0%) | N.S. | |
| Psammoma bodies | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (4.0%) | N.S. | |
| Arrangement | Papillary | 17 (89.5%) | 41 (82.0%) | N.S. |
| Follicular | 0 (0.0%) | 23 (46.0%) | .0001 | |
| Monolayered sheet‐like | 17 (89.5%) | 49 (98.0%) | N.S. | |
| Trabecular | 1 (5.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | N.S. | |
| Solid | 3 (15.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | .0185 | |
| Predominantly isolated | 1 (5.3%) | 6 (12.0%) | N.S. | |
| Palisaded | 18 (94.7%) | 8 (16.0%) | <.0001 | |
| Cell shape | Round or oval | 6 (31.6%) | 50 (100.0%) | <.0001 |
| Tall columnar | 17 (89.5%) | 18 (36.0%) | .0001 | |
| Tombstone appearance | 15(78.9%) | 0 (0.0%) | <.0001 | |
| Spindle‐like | 13 (68.4%) | 6 (12.0%) | <.0001 | |
| Cytoplasm | Densely stained | 18 (94.7%) | 25 (50.0%) | .0006 |
| Distinct cell border | 17 (89.5%) | 19(38.0%) | .0001 | |
| Cytoplasmic elongation | 17 (89.5%) | 24 (48.0%) | .0021 | |
| Septated intracytoplasmic vacuoles | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (8.0%) | N.S. | |
| Pseudokeratinization | 5 (26.3%) | 5 (10.0%) | N.S. | |
| Nucleus | Ground glass appearance | 1 (5.3%) | 7 (14.0%) | N.S. |
| Cytoplasmic inclusions | 17 (89.5%) | 41 (82.0%) | N.S. | |
| Soap bubble appearance | 8 (42.1%) | 14 (28.0%) | N.S. | |
| Grooves | 19 (100.0%) | 49 (98.0%) | N.S. | |
| Overlapping | 13 (68.4%) | 8 (16.0%) | .0001 | |
| Various‐sized | 1 (5.3%) | 2 (4.0%) | N.S. | |
| Multilobated | 2 (10.5%) | 7 (14.0%) | N.S. | |
| Mitotic figure | 3 (15.8%) | 7 (14.0%) | N.S. | |
N.S.: Not significant P > .05.
The characteristic findings for the tall cell variant are written in bold letters.