Hurthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid accounts for approximately 3% of all thyroid cancers. Although they are classified as variants of follicular neoplasms, they are more often multifocal and somewhat more aggressive and are less likely to take up iodine than are other follicular neoplasms (Sanders and Silverman, 1998).
Hurthle cell tumors, also known as oxyphil cell tumors, are composed of cells with increased numbers of mitochondria, which corresponds morphologically to their voluminous, granular, eosinophilic cytoplasm (Maximo et al., 2005). [from
OMIM]