Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid after postpartum thyroiditis.

Postpartum thyroiditis is a benign, often self-limited cause of thyroid dysfunction. This report describes the first case of papillary carcinoma arising in a woman with postpartum thyroid disease. Both clinicians and pathologists must keep a high index of suspicion in postpartum patients with persistent thyroid abnormalities, even when a previous biopsy may have disclosed benign disease.