Pattern and Surgical Outcome of Papillary Thyroid Cancer at Sohag University Hospitals

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common histological subtype of thyroid cancer, representing about 80-85% of cases. This study is a case-series study with both retrospective (June 2023 - June 2026) and prospective (June 2026 - March 2027) components, conducted at the Department of General Surgery, Sohag University Hospitals.

All patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma and managed at Sohag University Hospitals during the study period will be included. Data collection includes baseline demographic and clinical features, preoperative laboratory tests (thyroid function tests and serum calcium), neck ultrasonography findings (ACR TI-RADS category, nodule size, and lymph node assessment), fine-needle aspiration cytology (Bethesda System), surgical intervention types (hemithyroidectomy, total thyroidectomy, and neck dissection), final histopathological characteristics (tumor size, multifocality, lymphovascular invasion, extrathyroidal extension, and nodal status), and early postoperative complications (hypocalcemia, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, hematoma, seroma, and wound sepsis).

Inclusion criteria

• All patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma and its variants managed at Sohag University Hospitals.
• Confirmation of diagnosis histopathologically.
• Availability of sufficient clinical, radiological, operative, and pathological data for analysis.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients diagnosed with other types of thyroid malignancy (e.g., follicular, medullary, or anaplastic carcinoma).
• Patients with a history of previous thyroid surgery before presentation to the study setting.
• Patients with incomplete essential medical records that prevent confirmation of diagnosis or extraction of main study variables.