Surgery – MCQ 50 – Papillary carcinoma of thyroid

One of the following is not correct in papillary carcinoma of thyroid:
a) Can be reliably diagnosed using fine needle aspiration cytology
b) Always unifocal
c) Typically spreads to the cervical lymph nodes
d) Requires a a total thyroidectomy for large tumours

Correct answer :
b) Always unifocal

Papillary carcinoma is usually mulitifocal. Lymphatic spread occurs to cervical lymph nodes. (Hematogenous spread occurs in case of follicular carcinoma.)