Papillary carcinoma: Findings on surgical histology

Surgical specimen showing the classic histologic appearance of papillary cancer with papillary structure and no follicles or colloid. Follicular development can be seen in some of these carcinomas (follicular variant of papillary cancer); in them, the diagnosis is made from the cytologic features of the cells.

Surgical specimen of a sporadic macrofollicular goiter with normal, large thyroid follicules filled with colloid. These follicles are disrupted by needle biopsy so that the colloid will smear across the slide or occassionally aggregate into droplets.