Abstract
Background: Incidentalomas of endocrine glands are a common problem in endocrine practice. Data on their prevalence are limited from South Asian settings.
Objective: We aimed to describe incidentalomas and other histopathological abnormalities in an autopsy series of Sri Lankans.
Methods: Consecutive autopsies performed at Judicial Medical Office, Colombo from December 2014 to December 2016 were screened and the deceased without a diagnosed endocrinopathy (except diabetes) were included in the study. Pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, pancreas and ovarian specimens were sampled and examined both macroscopically and under light microscopy with Haemotoxylin Eosin stain.
Results: Among 441 autopsies (mean age 52.5 years, male 77.8%) examined, pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, pancreatic and ovarian nodules were detected in 0.8%, 37.2%, 1.8%, 1.3% and 18.4% respectively. Thyroid neoplasms were present in 6.4%, of which 87.5% were papillary carcinoma or papillary microcarcinoma and it was associated with background thyroiditis (χ2 = 4.05, p = 0.04) or nodular thyroid enlargement (χ2 = 32.68, p < 0.01). Thyroiditis was commoner in females, but malignancies showed no gender-predilection. No malignant lesions were identified in pituitary, adrenal, pancreatic or ovarian tissues.
Conclusions: In this population of Sri Lankan adults, prevalence of thyroid incidentalomas, neoplasms
and thyroiditis are comparable to published studies from the West. Papillary carcinoma or
microcarcinoma was the commonest type and it showed a predilection to affect thyroid glands with
background thyroiditis. Pituitary, pancreatic and adrenal incidentalomas and neoplasms were less
prevalent.
Published on
23 Nov 2021.
Peer Reviewed
