Introduction:

differentiated thyroid carcinomas are originated in the follicular epithelium. Of them, the papillary carcinoma shows higher incidence. Follicular carcinoma, one of its variants, occasionally shows an architectural pattern imitating a follicular adenoma.

Objective:

to contribute to the differential diagnosis between the papillary carcinoma, follicular variant, and thyroid follicular adenoma, using karyometric variables of follicular cells.

Materials and methods:

morphometric techniques were applied to samples of biopsies of thyroids with papillary carcinoma, follicular variant, and follicular adenoma, and also to samples without any pathology, in the period from January 2013 to December 2016, gathered in the University Hospital Comandante Faustino Perez, of Matanzas. The applied techniques were based on quantitative variables: area, perimeter and nuclear form factor. Results were expressed in percentages; the arithmetic median as measure of central tendency; typical deviation, including the calculation of maximal, minimal values and the course for each variable included in the study, were drawn in tables and graphics using Microsoft Office Excel software.

Results:

highs values of area and nuclear perimeter of the follicular cells of the papillary carcinoma, follicular variant, were obtained, while the shape factor did not show significant results for those thyroidal diseases differentiation.

Conclusions:

the application of morphometric techniques to karyometric variables in the thyroids, for the differential diagnosis between the papillary carcinoma, follicular variant, in follicular carcinoma, offers results that can be applied in histopathological studies.

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