title: Follicular adenoma presenting as lateral aberrant thyroid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  True benign thyroid masses very rarely present as a solitary lateral neck mass. Different aetiological mechanisms have been proposed for such masses.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of thyroid follicular adenoma that presented as a lateral neck mass.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ectopic thyroid tissue and metastases from primary thyroid carcinoma should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of lateral neck masses. Complete investigation should include complete blood tests to characterise the orthotopic thyroid gland.
authors.affiliation: Division of Head and Neck Surgery, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. alanchu@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mlikotic
authors.forename: M A R
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: St John
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009333:Neck / Q000473:pathology*; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed