Clinically unsuspected thyroid involvement in cysticercosis: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Disseminated cysticercosis is rare in humans. This case highlights the utility of fine needle aspiration (FNA) in diagnosis of cysticercosis in an unusual site.


METHODS
A 28-year-old woman underwent FNA from a midline swelling in the neck, clinically suspected to be a nodular goiter or thyroiditis. Giemsa-stained smears revealed a mixed inflammatory infiltrate, foreign body giant cells, and an occasional epithelioid cell granuloma. Thick colloid and occasional clusters of follicular cells were seen. In addition, a single large hooklet, characteristic of cysticercus, and a few calcospherules were also present. Further workup revealed subcutaneous nodules on both thighs, and cystic lesions were detected in the thyroid, brain, and lungs. FNA from a subcutaneous swelling confirmed cysticercosis. A final diagnosis of disseminated cysticercosis involving the thyroid gland was made.


CONCLUSIONS
FNA is a useful procedure to identify parasitic lesions even in unusual sites and in clinically unsuspected cases.
Division of Cytopathology, Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology, I-7 Sector 39, Noida 201301, India. sanjaydr17@hotmail.com
Sanjay
S
Gupta
Pushpa
P
Sodhani
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D003552:Cysticercus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*