Follicular carcinoma in ectopic thyroid gland. A case report.
Ectopic thyroid rest can be seen anywhere along the path of descent of the gland. The most ectopic thyroid tissue is a thyroglossal duct cyst associated with normal thyroid gland. Sublingual location is less common than a lingual ectopia. True malignant transformation in ectopic thyroid tissue is extremely rare. Such a malignancy is virtually always diagnosed only after surgical excision of the lesion at pathological examination. This report discusses a case of ectopic thyroid follicular carcinoma in the right submandibular region in the absence of orthotopic thyroid, discovered by chance after the surgical excision performed for a preoperative ultrasonically and cytologically misdiagnosed submandibular gland adenocystic carcinoma. The possible aetiology of such an unusual anatomical relationship is discussed as well as the importance of thyroid scanning, ultrasound and/or CT in neck lumps.
Tucci
G
G
Dipartimento di Chirurgia, Università degli Studi Tor Vergata, Roma.
Rulli
F
F
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis; D002828:Choristoma; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013961:Thyroid Gland; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*