The molecular features of aggressive papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

In recent years, the incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) increased significantly and the mortality did not change obviously, resulting in the confusion and dilemma of clinical treatment. The majority of scholars believe that aggressive PTMC requires immediate surgical intervention, but there are no accurate clinical or pathologic features to predict or assess the aggressiveness of PTMC. In this review, the molecular genetic characteristics of aggressive PTMC are summarized from three aspects: gene mutation, microRNA and single gene expression. Key words: Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma; Aggressiveness; Molecular features