The Distribution of Parafollicular Cells (C Cells) in Adult Cadaveric Thyroid Gland

Abstract

Background: The population of parafollicular cells or C cells in the normal thyroid has subjective variation. These variations in cadaveric thyroid gland are primarily attributed to ethnicity, gender, underlying pathologies, and sampling technique or approach. The lack of homogenous C cell dispersal poses a challenge in the diagnosis and interpretation of C cell hyperplasia. The aim of the study is to analyze the C cell distribution in various parts of the cadaveric thyroid. Methodology: This study was performed with 56 thyroid glands acquired from adult human cadavers (37 males and 19 females). Calcitonin polyclonal antibody was employed to identify the C cells. C cells in tissue sections from the isthmus, upper, middle, and lower regions of the thyroid gland were examined. Results: The number of C cells in the section from the thyroid ranged between 0 and 5/low-power field (LPF) in the upper region, 0 and 12/LPF in the middle region, and 0 and 3/LPF in the lower region. The mean number of C cells displayed in the section from the upper third region of the thyroid was 9 ± 1.92 C cells (range 6–12 C cells). The mean number of C cells quantified in the section from the middle third region was 25 ± 3.34 cells (range 19–30 C cells). The mean number of C cells in the section from the lower third was 3 ± 1.88 C cells (range 0–6 C cells). Sexual dimorphism in the mean total number of C cells in the section from the midzone of the gland was statistically significant. Conclusion: The midzone of thyroid gland has more population of C cells than other region. A significantly higher number of C cells were observed in males. This nonuniform distribution of C cells could result in conflicting reports, especially during the assessment of C cell hyperplasia.