title: Thyroglossal duct cyst or ectopic thyroid gland?
abstract: We report a 16-year-old boy with an anterior midline neck mass clinically diagnosed as a thyroglossal duct cyst. An ultrasound scan performed prior to surgery suggested a normally located thyroid gland. Following surgical excision of the presumed thyroglossal duct cyst the patient became hypothyroid. A radioisotope scan confirmed no active thyroid tissue. A pitfall in the ultrasonographic identification of the thyroid gland is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sparnon
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: LeQuesne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013955:Thyroglossal Cyst / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography