title: Ectopic thyroid in an adrenal mass: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is difficult to explain ectopic thyroid beneath the diaphragm because during the development the thyroid descends from the tongue to the anterior of the trachea. A few cases of ectopic lesions have been reported in the literature for abdominal organs including the adrenal glands, but the mechanism by which the thyroid components migrate into the abdomen has been poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 54-year-old woman was diagnosed as having an adrenal mass. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was carried out. Microscopically, the mass was composed of normal adrenal and ectopic thyroid tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We herein describe the fourth case reported of ectopic thyroid in the adrenal gland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan. junhagi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hagiuda
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Munehisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Chizuko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Deguchi
mesh_terms: D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013961:Thyroid Gland