Papillary thyroid carcinoma with squamous differentiation: A report of two cases and a brief review of the literature

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer with a good prognosis. However, in rare cases, it can behave aggressively and exhibit unusual features such as squamous differentiation, where squamous cells appear alongside typical PTC cells. PTC with squamous differentiation (PTC-SD) is extremely rare and is thus not well understood.

The present study reports two cases of PTC-SD. The first case was that of a 28-year-old female patient who presented with a neck mass and hoarseness, and another that of a 49-year-old male patient who presented with an incidental finding of a thyroid lesion during a neck ultrasound for a dental issue. Upon investigations, both patients had suspicious thyroid nodules.

A total thyroidectomy was performed for both cases. A histopathological examination confirmed PTC-SD. Levothyroxine was prescribed for both patients, and radioactive iodine …