[Cutaneous metastases from follicular thyroid cancer].
BACKGROUND
Cutaneous metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma are rare: only 41 cases have been reported in the literature.


METHODS
A 57-year-old woman underwent total thyroidectomy for a poor differentiated follicular thyroid carcinoma, with involvement of sternum and pulmonary metastases. Despite iodine-131 ablative therapy (> 1 Ci) she developed a skin metastasis of the scalp 9 years after the initial surgery. She died of widely metastatic thyroid carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Follicular carcinoma has a greater preponderance than papillary carcinoma for cutaneous metastases. The majority of skin metastases are localized to the head and neck. The development of a cutaneous metastasis is commonly associated with metastasis to other distant tissues and is followed by a deteriorating course and eventual death resulting from malignancy.
Cariou
B
B
Service de Médecine nucléaire, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes.
Charbonnel
B
B
Heymann
M F
MF
Bridji
B
B
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*