title: Ectopic cervical thymoma mimicking as papillary thyroid carcinoma: a diagnostic dilemma.
abstract: Ectopic cervical thymomas are often confused with thyroid or parathyroid swellings due to their anatomical positioning. Predominant epithelial thymoma can be misdiagnosed as papillary thyroid carcinoma on fine needle aspiration and lymph node metastasis of epithelial tumor on frozen section. Predominantly lymphocytic thymomas have often been misinterpreted as Hashimoto's thyroiditis or malignant lymphoma, either by fine needle aspiration or on frozen section analysis. If cytology is doubtful and is not correlating with clinical, anatomical and surgical findings; immunohistochemistry is a very important tool in such cases to give final answer. Thyroid cell specific proteins such as thyroglobulin, thyroid transcription factor-1, thyroperoxidase and dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-4, neuroendocrine markers chromogranin, calcitonin and parathyroid hormone could be used to rule out thyroid or parathyroid origin. We present such rare case of ectopic cervical thymoma mimicking as papillary thyroid carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrine Surgery, University Hospital La Timone, 264, Rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Abhijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thakur
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sebag
authors.forename: Catherine De
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Micco
authors.forename: Eveline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Slotema
authors.forename: Francois Jean
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Henry
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D013945:Thymoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*