Solitary intrathyroidal metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma in a toxic substernal multinodular goiter.
BACKGROUND
Thyroid gland is a rare site of clinically detectable tumor metastasis.


METHODS
A 71-year-old woman was referred to our department for an evaluation of toxic multinodular substernal goiter. She had a history of renal clear cell carcinoma of the left kidney, which had been resected 2 years previously. US confirmed the multinodular goiter. Total thyroidectomy with neuromonitoring was performed on March 2008. A histological examination revealed a solitary metastasis of a clear cell renal cancer in a diffuse multinodular goiter. No distant metastases are detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Although uncommon, it is important for the endocrine surgeon and endocrine oncologist to be able to recognize and differentiate intrathyroid metastases from more primary common thyroid neoplasms. The diagnosis can be suspected if the patient has a thyroid tumor and a past history of extrathyroid cancer. These tumors, on the whole, tend to behave more aggressively and, in most cases, the use of multimodality therapy is recommended.
Dionigi
Gianlorenzo
G
Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy. gianlorenzo.dionigi@uninsubria.it.
Uccella
Silvia
S
Gandolfo
Myriam
M
Lai
Adriana
A
Bertocchi
Valentina
V
Rovera
Francesca
F
Tanda
Maria Laura
ML