Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics.diagnosis and treatment of familial papillary thyroid microcarcinoma(PTMC).Method The clinical data of 8 cases of familial PTMC admitted from October 2004 to January 2005 were analyzed.Results All patients were followed-up during 9 to 13(mean 10.8)months. No one suffered recurrence and dead. PTMC was found in 2 cases incidentally from thyroid specimens removed for supposed benign disease, another 6 cases were doubtful of cancer before operation and were identified by frozen section.Upper deep cervical lymph nodes were involved in 2 eases with lymph node metastasis. Lymph node metastasis in eases of multifoeal cancer in the affected lobe or of both lobe was significantly higher than those in monofoccal cancer in uni-lobe. Conclusions Most of the PTMC are found among the benign nodules during operation or within the pathological specimens,and familialPTMC are rather rare. Careful palpation,color Doppler uhrasonography, exploratory operation and frozen section are very important factors to heighten diagnosis of PTMC. Lobectomy is the routine radical operation.