title: Incidental thyroid lesions identified by ultrasound in patients with non-thyroidal head and neck cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thyroid cancer is one of the common head and neck malignancies and may be found incidentally with other head and neck cancers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence and risk of malignancy in incidental thyroid lesions identified by ultrasound (US) in patients with head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients with head and neck cancer other than of thyroid origin between January 2004 and December 2011. A total of 690 patients (537 men and 153 women; mean age, 58.9 ± 12.9 years) underwent US of the neck for the evaluation of cervical lymph node status (including thyroid gland). We evaluated the prevalence of patients with incidental thyroid lesions identified by US and the risk of malignancy in these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 690 patients with head and neck cancer, 234 (33.9%) had incidental thyroid lesions on US. Based on US findings, 61 patients underwent fine-needle aspiration, with 39 eventually undergoing thyroidectomy. Among these thyroid lesions, 24 incidental thyroid lesions of 22 patients were histologically proven to be malignant (23 papillary and 1 follicular carcinomas). The risk of malignancy was 9.4% on a patient-by-patient basis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening of the thyroid gland should be included in the preoperative US examination for cervical lymph node metastases in patients with non-thyroidal head and neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Kangwon-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Heung Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Young Lan
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Sook
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namkung
authors.forename: Myung Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Sora
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Kyoung Ja
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Eun Joo
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Chul Soon
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Eun-Jae
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kee Hwan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Young-Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Rho
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Head and neck cancer; neoplasm; prevalence; thyroid gland; ultrasound