Slijepcevic N, et al. - Researchers aimed at determining the rate of intrathyroid extension of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) in patients operated for benign thyroid disease. In addition, they searched for independent risk factors associated with it. More than a quarter of PTMCs, found in patients operated for benign thyroid disease, displayed intrathyroid extension. Size of PTMC greater than 5 mm and the mixed follicular-papillary variant of PTMC were identified as the independent risk factors for intrathyroid extension, while a large thyroid gland was noted to be an independent protective factor.