scholarly journals Occult Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma without Detection of the Primary Tumor on Preoperative Ultrasonography or Postoperative Pathological Examination: A Case Report

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gai Yamashita ◽  
Takahito Kondo ◽  
Akira Okimura ◽  
Munehide Nakatsugawa ◽  
Hiroshi Hirano ◽  
...  

Herein, we report a case of an occult thyroid cancer that was not detected as a primary tumor on preoperative ultrasonography or postoperative pathological examination, although a diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma metastasis was made owing to the presence of a mass in the right upper neck. Needle biopsy of the mass in the right upper neck revealed positive results for thyroglobulin and TTF-1 on immunostaining, and a papillary thyroid carcinoma was observed with papillary and follicular patterns. We suspected papillary thyroid carcinoma (T0N1bM0) or ectopic papillary thyroid carcinoma. Accordingly, we performed total thyroidectomy, central lymph node dissection, right lateral neck dissection, and resection of the superficial lobe of the right parotid. A postoperative pathological examination of 5-mm slices of the specimen revealed no primary tumor in the thyroid. However, a hyalinized image of the thyroid indicated that a micropapillary thyroid carcinoma might have spontaneously disappeared. As there was no normal thyroid tissue in the metastasis to the superior internal jugular lymph node, the tumor was unlikely to be an ectopic papillary thyroid carcinoma. Therefore, we made a diagnosis of a papillary thyroid carcinoma (pT0N1bM0). After surgery, we determined that the tumor belonged to a high-risk group of papillary thyroid carcinomas and a poor-prognosis group of symptomatic papillary thyroid microcarcinomas; accordingly, ablation was performed with 30 mCi iodine-131. There was no recurrence or metastasis 24 months after the first surgery.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lovenish Bains ◽  
Sushant Bhatia ◽  
Rohit Kaushik ◽  
Sudhir Kumar Jain ◽  
Chandra Bhushan Singh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Thyroid swellings enlarge caudally into the mediastinum behind the sternum. Pre-sternal swelling of thyroid origin is very rare. We present our case of pre-sternal thyroid swelling which was albeit a surprisingly rare site of papillary thyroid carcinoma recurrence and review of pre-sternal thyroid swellings reported till date. Case summary A 60 year old female presented with a painless, progressive swelling on the anterior part of the chest for the past 2 years. A 15 cm × 8 cm vertically aligned, non tender, well defined swelling was present on the pre-sternal region, with consistency ranging from soft to firm. The swelling was fixed to the underlying tissues and a fixed level IV lymph node was palpable on the right side. Ultrasonography revealed a large mass of 15 × 7 cm with multiple cystic areas. Fine needle aspiration cytology was inconclusive twice. Patient had undergone a total thyroidectomy for papillary carcinoma 10 years back. Computed tomography findings revealed a large 15 × 6.6 × 7 cm lobulated, pre-sternal, soft tissue lesion with solid & cystic components. The mass was infiltrating the right sided strap muscles and sternocleidomastoid. FNAC was inconclusive and thyroid scan could not pick up any activity in the mass. Henceforth a PET scan was done that showed increased FDG uptake by the lesion and the level IV lymph node. The patient underwent wide excision of the mass with right functional neck dissection, along with removal with both sternal head of sternocleido-mastoid, the strap muscles and the surrounding fascia. Histopathology confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma. Patient received post-operative radioactive iodine ablation and is healthy with no recurrence up to 30 months of follow up. Discussion The mechanisms for pre-sternal thyroid swelling are not understood due to paucity of cases. The mechanisms proposed are invasion of strap muscles and cervical linea alba and tumor cells spread anterior to sternum, truly ectopic thyroid tissue, de novo carcinogenesis in the embryonal remnants like the thyro-thymic residues, sequestered thyroid tissue which grows later or migration of thyroid cells, incomplete clearance at the time of primary surgery or intraoperative seeding. Conclusion Pre-sternal region masses of thyroid origin are very rare. A proper work up, suspicion for thyroid mass and array of tests will be required to come to a provisional diagnosis. Since the masses reported in literature were primarily malignant, any such mass may be treated on lines of malignancy with radical surgery.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanery’s Agosto-Vargas ◽  
Madeleine Gutiérrez ◽  
José Hernán Martínez ◽  
Michelle Mangual-Garcia ◽  
Coromoto Palermo ◽  
...  

Papillary thyroid carcinoma frequently metastasizes to regional lymph nodes. However, cervical lymph node metastasis as a sole manifestation of occult papillary thyroid carcinoma is rarely observed. Ectopic thyroid is an uncommon condition defined as the presence of thyroid tissue at a site other than pretracheal area. Approximately 1–3% of all ectopic thyroid tissue is located in the lateral neck. This entity may represent the only functional thyroid tissue in the body. Malignant transformation of ectopic thyroid is uncommon; but even rarer is the development of papillary carcinoma on it. We present a case of a 33-year-old man with an incidental lateral neck mass diagnosed after a motor vehicle accident. Total thyroidectomy and lymph node resection were completed without evidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Malignant transformation of heterotopic thyroid tissue was the final diagnosis. The possibility of an ectopic thyroid cancer should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a pathological mass in the neck. The uniqueness of this case strives in the rarity that the thyroid gland was free of malignancy, despite ectopic tissue being positive for thyroid carcinoma. Management strategies, including performance of total thyroidectomy, neck dissection, and treatment with radioiodine, should be based on individualized risk assessment.


Biomedicines ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Young-Jae Ryu ◽  
Seong-Young Kwon ◽  
Soo-Young Lim ◽  
Yong-Min Na ◽  
Min-Ho Park

Skip lymph node (LN) metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) belong to N1b classification in the absence of central neck LN involvement. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive factors of skip metastases and their impact on recurrence in PTC patients with pN1b. A total of 334 PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with LN dissection (central and lateral neck compartment) followed by radioactive iodine ablation were included. Patients with skip metastases tended to have a small primary tumor (≤1 cm) and single lateral neck level involvement. Tumor size ≤ 1 cm was an important predictive factor for skip metastases. Univariate analysis for recurrence showed that patients with a central LN ratio > 0.68, lateral LN ratio > 0.21, and stimulated thyroglobulin (Tg) levels > 7.3 ng/mL had shorter RFS (recurrence-free survival). The stimulated Tg level was associated with shorter RFS on multivariate analysis (>7.3 vs. ≤7.3 ng/mL; hazard ratio, 4.226; 95% confidence interval, 2.226−8.022; p < 0.001). Although patients with skip metastases tended to have a small primary tumor and lower burden of lateral neck LN involvement, there was no association between skip metastases and RFS in PTC with pN1b. Stimulated Tg level was a strong predictor of recurrence.


2013 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Ito ◽  
Mitsuhiro Fukushima ◽  
Takuya Higashiyama ◽  
Minoru Kihara ◽  
Yuuki Takamura ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Aluffi ◽  
Massimiliano Pino ◽  
Renzo Boldorini ◽  
Francesco Pia

Thyroglossal duct cysts represent the most common congenital cervical malformations. Carcinomas arising in the thyroglossal duct cysts are rare neoplasms characterized by a relatively non aggressive behavior with rare lymph node spread. Approximately 1% of thyroglossal cysts contain a carcinoma. The most frequent histological type is papillary carcinoma, accounting for about 80% of cases. Currently, most authors agree about their primary origin ex novo from ectopic thyroid tissue in the cyst. In most cases the diagnosis of thyroglossal duct carcinoma (TDC) is not made until histopathological examination has been performed on a resected cyst without any suspected clinical sign of malignancy. The definition of the correct surgical treatment for these carcinomas is still controversial; most authors maintain that resection of a TDC with the Sistrunk procedure can be considered oncologi-cally adequate when dealing with a differentiated carcinoma without extracapsular invasion and/or lymph node metastases and with a normal thyroid. We present two cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma identified after resection of a thyroglossal cyst according to the Sistrunk procedure and managed with different surgical approaches according to the different sites of the tumors. In addition, we discuss appropriate therapeutic strategies in light of the most recent data in the literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Du ◽  
Qigen Fang ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Liyuan Dai

ObjectiveThe association between metastasis to the lymph node posterior to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve (LN-prRLN) and cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) located in the thyroid isthmus remains unknown; therefore, our goal was to analyze the characteristics of LN-prRLN metastasis of cN0 PTCs of the thyroid isthmus and determine its potential predictors.Patients and methodsThis retrospective study included patients who underwent bilateral central neck dissection between January 2018 and January 2021. The specimen was divided into five groups of prelaryngeal lymph node (LN), pretracheal LN, left paratracheal LN, lymph node anterior to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve (LN-arRLN), and LN-prRLN. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association between the clinical pathologic variables and LN-prRLN metastases. Surgical complications were presented descriptively.ResultsA total of 357 patients were included, LN-prRLN metastasis occurred in 23 (6.4%) patients, and LN-prRLN was positive only when there were other LN metastases, especially LN-arRLN metastases. Other independent risk factors for LN-prRLN included foci numbers ≥2, tumor size ≥5.0 mm, and extrathyroidal extensions. The rates of permanent hypoparathyroidism and vocal cord paralysis were 1.1% and 2.0%, respectively.ConclusionLN-prRLN metastases should not be ignored in cN0 PTC located in the thyroid isthmus; however, its dissection is a safe procedure, and the status of LN-arRLN can be a reliable predictor for LN-prRLN metastases.


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