[Cytomorphology of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland in children].

Of 632 thyroid fine-needle aspirations (FNA) performed by the authors throughout 1990-1992, 24 cases were cytologically diagnosed as neoplastic. Cases under study were papillary carcinomas in 5-16 year olds; 21 correctly diagnosed at FNA, two false negative and one suspected. Three-dimensional tissue fragments, follicular cells with dense cytoplasm, well defined cell margins, eccentric large clear nuclei, dusty chromatin were among the most consistent features observed. High cellularity, papillary clusters, intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions, were found in half (54.17%) of the cases only.