title: Unexpected esophageal diseases appeared in thyroid resections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to avoid the misdiagnosis of thyroid diseases, we need to discuss the clinical features and diagnostic methods of cervical esophageal cancer and Zenker's diverticulum.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical and laboratory data of seven cases were reviewed retrospectively, and in all cases, esophageal-related diseases were misdiagnosed as thyroid diseases preoperatively. Among them, two cases were cervical esophageal cancer metastasized to thyroids but initially, they were misdiagnosed as thyroid cancer. The other five cases were Zenker's diverticulum, but were originally diagnosed as nodular goiter, and two out of the five cases were found with calcification. They were all detected by ultrasound examination without any clinical feature of esophageal diseases. Previous literatures only reported five cases of thyroid metastasis and three cases of Zenker's diverticulum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both cases where cervical esophageal cancer metastasized to thyroid, anterior cervical neoplasm biopsy and surgical removal were performed followed by postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Both patients died from esophageal cancers in 7 and 15 months postoperatively. All five cases of Zenker's diverticulum received excision and repair without any postoperative complication or recurrence in the following 2 to 7 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical esophageal cancer and Zenker's diverticulum may be misdiagnosed as thyroid disease. Careful and comprehensive diagnostic tests would be required to avoid misdiagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, South of Bai-xiang Street, Ou-hai District, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. 1259932365@qq.com.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye-huan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, South of Bai-xiang Street, Ou-hai District, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. 1059647116@qq.com.
authors.forename: Lyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi-xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, South of Bai-xiang Street, Ou-hai District, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. yilistar@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yi-li
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, South of Bai-xiang Street, Ou-hai District, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. woc099@sina.com.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ou-chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, South of Bai-xiang Street, Ou-hai District, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. oncologyz@yahoo.cn.
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiao-hua
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D016672:Zenker Diverticulum / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery