Papillary thyroid carcinoma in graves’ disease: prevalence, clinicopathological features, and preoperative predictors

PTC is relatively common among surgically treated GD patients, yet presents predominantly as microcarcinoma with less aggressive histopathological features. The presence of ultrasound-detected thyroid nodules was the strongest preoperative predictor of malignancy. These findings support careful and systematic ultrasonographic assessment in patients with GD, with FNAB guided by established ultrasound risk patterns, nodule size thresholds, and high-risk clinical features, rather than indiscriminate lowering of biopsy thresholds.