PTC
Abbreviation with 9 meanings
| Stands for | Papillary thyroid carcinoma |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 9 |
| Categories | Medical, Science & Engineering, Business & Finance, Law & Legal, Education & Academia, Transportation & Travel |
PTC has nine meanings. The most common are Papillary thyroid carcinoma (endocrinology & diabetes) and Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (gastroenterology); it can also stand for Pseudotumor cerebri, Positive temperature coefficient (thermistor), Production Tax Credit, Premium tax credit and Pretrial conference, plus 2 more listed below.
Meanings of PTC at a glance
| # | PTC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papillary thyroid carcinoma | Medical › Endocrinology & Diabetes |
| 2 | Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography | Medical › Gastroenterology |
| 3 | Pseudotumor cerebri | Medical › Neurology |
| 4 | Positive temperature coefficient (thermistor) | Science & Engineering › Electronics & Electrical |
| 5 | Production Tax Credit | Science & Engineering › Energy |
| 6 | Premium tax credit | Business & Finance › Tax |
| 7 | Pretrial conference | Law & Legal › Litigation |
| 8 | Parent-teacher conference | Education & Academia › K-12 Education |
| 9 | Positive train control | Transportation & Travel › Rail and Transit |
1. Papillary thyroid carcinoma
Medical · Endocrinology & Diabetes Abbreviations
The most common thyroid cancer, accounting for roughly 80 percent or more of cases, usually slow-growing with excellent survival. It often spreads to neck lymph nodes but rarely to distant sites, and is treated with surgery, sometimes followed by radioactive iodine.
Example: Bethesda VI nodule, BRAF V600E positive: PTC, total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection.
Microscopic features include psammoma bodies and "Orphan Annie eye" nuclei. Very small papillary microcarcinomas under 1 cm may be safely monitored with active surveillance in selected patients. Radiation exposure in childhood is a known risk factor. In gastroenterology PTC means percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, an unrelated procedure.
2. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography
Medical · Gastroenterology Abbreviations
Interventional radiology procedure in which a needle is passed through the skin and liver into a bile duct to inject contrast, usually followed by placement of a drainage catheter. It is used when ERCP fails or is impossible, for example after gastric bypass or with high hilar strictures.
Example: Failed ERCP for hilar cholangiocarcinoma; PTC with internal-external biliary drain placed.
When a drain is left in place the procedure is called PTBD (percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage). Risks include bleeding, bile leak and cholangitis. In endocrinology and pathology PTC means papillary thyroid carcinoma, a completely different meaning determined by context.
3. Pseudotumor cerebri
Medical · Neurology Abbreviations
Older name for raised intracranial pressure without a tumor or other structural cause, producing headache, papilledema and vision problems that mimic a brain tumor. Today it is mostly called idiopathic intracranial hypertension when no cause is found.
Example: PTC secondary to tetracycline use; drug stopped and acetazolamide begun.
Pseudotumor cerebri syndrome is still used as an umbrella term that includes secondary forms caused by medicines such as tetracyclines, vitamin A derivatives and growth hormone, or by venous sinus thrombosis. The Latin-derived name means "false brain tumor." In other specialties PTC means papillary thyroid carcinoma or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography.
4. Positive temperature coefficient (thermistor)
Science & Engineering · Electronics & Electrical Abbreviations
Describes a component whose resistance increases with temperature; PTC thermistors act as self-resetting fuses that limit current when overheated, and as self-regulating heaters. They protect USB ports, battery packs and motors.
Example: A PTC fuse on the USB port trips during a short circuit and resets once it cools.
Resettable PTC fuses are often sold under the trade name PolyFuse or PolySwitch. Ceramic PTC heating elements in space heaters and car seat warmers limit their own temperature as resistance rises. In energy policy PTC means Production Tax Credit.
5. Production Tax Credit
Science & Engineering · Energy Abbreviations
US federal tax credit paid per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by qualifying renewable plants during their first ten years of operation. The PTC was the main incentive behind the growth of US wind power from the 1990s onward.
Example: The wind farm's economics depend on the PTC, worth a few cents for every kilowatt-hour it sells.
Created by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and adjusted for inflation, the credit lapsed and was renewed many times, causing boom-and-bust cycles in wind construction. Developers often choose between the PTC and the ITC depending on a project's expected output. In electronics PTC means positive temperature coefficient, as in self-resetting PTC fuses.
6. Premium tax credit
Business & Finance · Tax Abbreviations
Refundable federal credit that lowers the cost of health insurance bought through HealthCare.gov or a state marketplace, sized according to household income relative to the federal poverty line and the price of the benchmark silver plan. Most recipients take it in advance, paid directly to the insurer.
Example: Because my income rose, I had to repay part of my PTC when I filed.
Created by the Affordable Care Act and first available in 2014. Advance payments, called APTC, must be reconciled on Form 8962 using Form 1095-A, and income higher than projected can mean repaying some or all of the advance. Temporary expansions enacted in 2021 and 2022 enlarged the credit for several years.
7. Pretrial conference
Law & Legal · Litigation Abbreviations
Meeting between the judge and counsel before trial to narrow the issues, address exhibits and witness lists, hear motions in limine and settle logistics such as jury selection and time limits. The resulting pretrial order often controls the course of the trial.
Example: Joint exhibit lists are due at the PTC, and objections not raised then may be waived.
Governed in federal court by Rule 16(e), which allows a final pretrial order to be modified only to prevent manifest injustice. Some courts call the order a joint pretrial order (JPTO). State criminal dockets also use PTC for pretrial hearings at which pleas and trial dates are discussed.
8. Parent-teacher conference
Education & Academia · K-12 Education Abbreviations
Scheduled meeting between a teacher and a student's parents or guardians to discuss progress, grades, behavior and goals, typically held once or twice a year. Many schools shorten the school day during conference weeks.
Example: PTC sign-ups are open for the week of November 10, with early dismissal each day.
Student-led conferences, in which children present their own work, have become common in elementary and middle schools. Virtual conferences became widespread after 2020. Interpreters are available on request for families who speak other languages.
9. Positive train control
Transportation & Travel · Rail and Transit Abbreviations
Safety system that automatically slows or stops a train to prevent collisions, overspeed derailments and movements into work zones or misaligned switches. US law required it on main lines carrying passengers or toxic chemicals, and installation was completed at the end of 2020.
Example: The PTC system stopped the train short of the red signal when the engineer failed to respond.
Mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, passed weeks after a Metrolink commuter train collided head-on with a freight train in Chatsworth, California, killing 25 people. Railroads spent more than $15 billion to install it. Europe's equivalent functions are provided by ETCS.
Related abbreviations
More endocrinology & diabetes abbreviations
- PA – Primary aldosteronism
- PCOS – Polycystic ovary syndrome
- PHPT – Primary hyperparathyroidism
- PRL – Prolactin
- PTH – Parathyroid hormone
- RAI – Radioactive iodine
- RAIU – Radioactive iodine uptake
- SIADH – Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion
See all 64 endocrinology & diabetes abbreviations →
More gastroenterology abbreviations
- PBC – Primary biliary cholangitis
- PEG – Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy
- POEM – Peroral endoscopic myotomy
- PSC – Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- PUD – Peptic ulcer disease
- RYGB – Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
- SBFT – Small bowel follow-through
- SBO – Small bowel obstruction
See all 85 gastroenterology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.