title: Metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma masquerading as a chordoma.
abstract: A 61-year-old Caucasian man presented with otalgia, dysarthria, and weight loss. Neurological examination revealed palatal hypomotility, and weakness of the facial and tongue muscles. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head demonstrated the presence of a soft tissue mass in the clivus. Histologic examination of resected tumor disclosed well-differentiated thyroid follicles that invaded the local osseous tissues. Physical examination and radioiodine images of the thyroid gland were normal. The serum thyroglobulin concentration was markedly elevated (1011 ng/mL). A 0.9-cm well-differentiated benign-appearing left thyroid lobe follicular neoplasm with a thick fibrous capsule was found following diagnostic thyroidectomy. This report illustrates that clinically significant distant metastases can arise from occult follicular thyroid neoplasms that, according to standard histologic criteria, are benign. The presence of a thick fibrous capsule, even in the absence of vascular or capsular invasion, may identify follicular neoplasms that have metastatic potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Casals
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gussack
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Blevins
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002817:Chordoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes