Palliative thyroidectomy in the setting of a metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
A secondary neoplasm of the thyroid gland is a distinctly uncommon cause of thyroid enlargement. These tumors mimic primary thyroid gland tumors and often lead to diagnostic difficulties. We report an interesting case of secondary thyroid tumor coexisting with a micropapillary carcinoma in an elderly male patient following a radical nephrectomy done 15 years prior for a renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Interestingly, the previously described coincidental association of thyroid and pancreatic metastases in a metastatic RCC was also noted in our patient as was demonstrated in the positron emission tomography-computed tomography which was done as part of the metastatic workup. This association needs to be further explored as also the role of palliative thyroidectomy in the setting of a metastatic RCC. The possibility of metastatic RCC should be kept as a differential during the course of the evaluation of clear cell renal tumor of the thyroid gland.
Department of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Arvind
A
Krishnamurthy
Department of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Suhail
S
Deen
Department of Preventive Oncology, Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Vijayalakshmi
V
Ramshankar
Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Urmila
U
Majhi
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma; metastatectomy; palliative thyroidectomy; secondary thyroid neoplasms