Abstract
Background: Nodules on the background of Graves’ disease are less common among men than among women, but more than one in three patients have carcinoma. Despite the improvement of diagnostic methods, most often thyroid cancer is a random histological finding after thyroidectomy for Graves’ disease. Clinical case: A 55-year women complained of discomfort in the neck, sweating, irritability, palpitation. From anamnesis: in 2012 she was diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis syndrome. For 5 years, the patient was treated with thyrostatics, but when trying to reduce the dose, the syndrome of thyrotoxicosis recurred. In March 2017, the patient’s condition worsened, at the time of treatment she took Thyrosol 30 mg/day. Objectively: hypersthenic body type, BMI 33 kg/m2. Thyroid gland visually was increased in volume, dense with palpation, homogeneous, mobile. Elevated titer of antibodies to the TSH receptor was discovered, according to the ultrasound - increase thyroid gland 30.2 cm3, hyperechogenic formation of the left lobe 10х10х9 mm with hypoechoic rim, clear smooth contours, intranodular blood flow. As a result, the Graves’ disease, goiter grade 2, manifest thyrotoxicosis was verified, surgical treatment was recommended. Thyroidectomy, histological examination was performed: Graves’ disease was confirmed, papillary microcarcinoma with metastasis to 1 regional lymph node was revealed. Diagnosed: papillary thyroid cancer I st (pT1aN1aM0x), 2 clinical group. The patient was prescribed suppressive therapy with L-thyroxine 100 µg/day, against which after 3 months TSH reached the target values (0.2–0.5 Mme/l). Taking into account the histological characteristics of the tumor, the nature and volume of the lesion, age, the patient belongs to the group of intermediate cancer risk of progression of cancer. According to scintigraphy residual functioning thyroid tissue (20x15 mm) was detected. Radioiodine therapy was carried out in a specialized hospital. Suppressive therapy of L-thyroxine 150 µg/day, target values of TSH 0.1 - 0.5 Mme/l was recommended. After 6 months, TSH reached target values, and according to the results of ultrasound of thyroid gland no data for structural relapse was found. Conclusion: Patients with long-existing, often recurrent Graves’ disease and questionable effect of conservative therapy, in the presence of nodular formation should be assigned to the risk group for the presence of thyroid cancer and carefully examined, because the need for further surgery depends on it.
A Rare Case of Aggressive Ectopic Thyroid Cancer in a Patient With Graves Disease
