Case Report
Volume: 5 | Issue: 11 | Published: Dec 09, 2021 | Pages: 325 - 329 | DOI: 10.24911/ejmcr/173-1631518456
Ectopic thyroid tissue in lateral cervical lymph nodes: a case report
Authors:
Laurens Hutsebaut
, Klaas Van Den Heede
, Vanessa Meert
, Nele Brusselaers
, Sam Van Slycke
Article Info
Authors
Laurens Hutsebaut
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Leuven, Herestraat, Leuven, Belgium
Klaas Van Den Heede
Department of General and Endocrine Surgery, Onze-Lieve Vrouw (OLV) Hospital Aalst, Moorselbaan, Aalst, Belgium.
Vanessa Meert
Department of Pathology, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw (OLV) Hospital Aalst, Moorselbaan, Aalst, Belgium
Nele Brusselaers
Center for Translational Microbiome Research Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska Hospital, Tomtebodavagen, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sam Van Slycke
Department of General and Endocrine Surgery, Onze-Lieve Vrouw (OLV) Hospital Aalst, Moorselbaan, Aalst, Belgium.
Publication History
Received: September 13, 2021
Revised: October 14, 2021
Accepted: October 22, 2021
Published: December 09, 2021
Abstract
Background: Ectopic thyroid tissue is a rare condition, especially when present inside lateral cervical lymph nodes. Only two similar cases have been reported. Case Presentation: A case of ectopic thyroid tissue in the lymph nodes of the lateral neck in a 34-year-old woman is reported, leading to a challenging differential diagnosis between micropapillary thyroid cancer with skip metastases or recurrent ectopic thyroid tissue. As a definitive diagnosis could not be made based on imaging or cytology, a diagnostic hemithyroidectomy was performed in combination with a total lateral neck dissection to avoid future ectopic thyroid tissue recurrence. Conclusion: The presence of ectopic thyroid tissue in the lateral neck is rare, especially when present within the lymph nodes themselves. Important differential diagnosis with a thyroid malignancy must be made. Benign causes, such as ectopic thyroid tissue, are diagnoses by exclusion.
Keywords: Lymph Nodes, Thyroid Dysgenesis, Thyroid Neoplasms, Diagnosis, Differential, Thyroidectomy, Neck Dissection, Case Report, green
