title: Sarcoidosis mimicking metastatic papillary thyroid cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic, idiopathic disease. It has a highly variable clinical course. It has been reported to present in association with malignancy. Coexistence of sarcoidosis and thyroid cancer is rarely reported in the literature.
  We present a case with neck swelling for 3 months, and symmetrical painless thyroid enlargement without fixation to deep tissues of the neck. Multiple nodules on the both thyroid lobes, hard irregular, grade two goiter with lymphadenopathy all over anterior neck compartments. Fine needle aspiration cytology was done under ultrasound guide from right thyroid nodule and showed papillary thyroid carcinoma. Excisional biopsy of the neck lymphnode showed picture typical for sarcoidosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most researchers believe that patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis are predisposed to develop malignancies, less than a dozen of cases are reported in the literature to be associated with PTC with a very wide range of presentations and clincal coarses. An interesting finding of our case is that in contrast to what is reported, both diseases were not known by the physician until the time of presentation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical lymphadenopathy in association with goiter could be metastasis, sarcoidosis or mixed, therefore should be seperately biopsied.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Department Surgery, University of Sulaimani, François Mitterrand Street, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Electronic address: awahidms@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abdulwahid M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Salih
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Department Radiology, University of Sulaimani, François Mitterrand Street, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Electronic address: Salahkalary@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Salah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fatih
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Department Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Sulaimani, François Mitterrand Street, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Electronic address: fahmi.hussein@univsul.edu.iq.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Kakamad
keywords: Metastatic papillary thyroid cancer; Neck mass; Sarcoidosis