2026/03/23 by Emma A. Finnegan, Justin M. Hintze, Anne McGowan +4
paper · doi:10.1111/cen.70127
ABSTRACT Introduction Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMC) are defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as tumours measuring ≤ 10 mm. Incidental PTMCs, or lesions discovered postoperatively on histological examination, are less extensively studied compared with lesions diagnosed preoperatively through cytology, particularly in terms of demographics, histopathological features and long‐term outcomes. This study aimed to compare outcomes between these patients. Methods A single‐centre retrospective cohort analysis of data from the St. James's University Hospital Head and Neck tumour board spanning from 2013 to 2023 was conducted. A total of 152 patients diagnosed with PTMCs and neck nodes ≤ 1 cm were identified during this period. Of these, 55 were incidental and 47 were non‐incidental PTMCs included in the final analysis. Results Significant differences were observed between the two subgroups in terms of the size of the largest tumour focus (7.8 mm vs. 3.9 mm, p p = 0.002) and the frequency of neck dissections (8.8% vs. 0.0%, p Conclusion This comprehensive 10‐year retrospective review found few differences in the presentation of incidental and non‐incidental microcarcinoma, with low recurrence rates and excellent outcomes. These findings, with overall low numbers, provide hypothesis‐generating evidence that this group may be suitable for discharge to primary care for further follow‐up.