Ectopic thyroid gland located on the L4 vertebral body: A case report

A case report of ectopic thyroid adenoma resection by transaxillary non-inflatable endoscopic surgery

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

The ectopic thyroid gland is a rare disease in which abnormal migration of the embryonic thyroid germ is thought to be the basis for the formation of the ectopic thyroid gland.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 37 year old female sought medical attention due to feeling a sensation of swallowing foreign objects, without any other positive symptoms such as pain or difficulty breathing. Preoperative examination revealed a nodule in the left lobe of the thyroid gland and a nodule behind the left lobe. The patient ultimately underwent non-inflatable endoscopic surgery under the axilla to completely remove the tumor located in the suprasternal fossa. Postoperative pathological examination confirmed ectopic thyroid adenoma. The patient's postoperative thyroid function was normal.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

The diagnosis of ectopic thyroid is difficult due to its highly non-specific histological characteristics and positional changes. However, clinical diagnosis and treatment should not overlook the possibility of ectopic thyroid. On the basis of completely removing the lesion, the transaxillary non-inflatable endoscopic surgery also meets the patient's minimally invasive and aesthetic needs.

CONCLUSION

The diagnosis of ectopic thyroid is difficult, and through transaxillary non-inflatable endoscopic surgery, the tumor can be completely removed and the patient's aesthetic needs can be met.

Ectopic thyroid tissue in the breast: A case report

Ectopic thyroid tissue is a rare condition manifested as the appearance of thyroid tissue outside the thyroid gland. Here, we report a case of ectopic thyroid tissue in the breast. A 48-year-old Chinese woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer received modified radical mastectomy. A thyroid tissue was found on subsequent pathological examination. The ectopic thyroid tissue was confirmed by immunohistochemistry staining of thyroid biomarkers, including thyroglobulin, thyroid transcription factor-1, and thyroid peroxidase. Currently, abnormal thyroid anlage descent is the main theory to explain ectopic thyroid tissue, especially lingual thyroid. However, it is far-fetched to explain the pathogenesis of ectopic thyroid tissues existed in organs or tissues far from thyroid such as iris, cardiac, pulmonary, duodenal, adrenal, and vertebral. Here, we reviewed the previous cases of ectopic thyroid tissue in breast and proposed a "entoderm migration" theory to explain distant ectopic thyroid tissues based on embryonic development perspective.

Accessory Thyroid Tissue Detected Using 131 I SPECT/CT Imaging

ABSTRACT

Thyroid ectopia has been described as a rare congenital anomaly, characterized by the presence of a thyroid gland in locations other than the orthotopic pretracheal location. The prevalence of accessory thyroid tissue in patients undergoing postablative radioiodine therapy in a 12-month period at a tertiary hospital nuclear medicine department was assessed. Fifty-seven patients were treated between September 2020 and September 2021. Retrospective analysis identified the presence and location of all accessory thyroid tissue separate from the orthotopic pretracheal thyroid gland. Accessory thyroid tissue was present in 21.1% (12/57) of the patients. Accessory thyroid tissue was most commonly located in the lingual region.

Ectopic thyroid nodes in the mediastinum - report of two cases

Introduction. Ectopic thyroid is rare anomaly characterized by presence of thyroid tissue outside its normal location, which could be the consequence of developmental abnormality, sequestration of thyroid nodes from nodal thyroid goiter or mechanical implantation of thyroid tissue after resection or trauma. Ectopic thyroid commonly is incidentally detected and causes differential diagnostic dilemma towards the neck and mediastinal tumors. The object of this report was to present two types of ectopic thyroid nodes located in the upper mediastinum those were incidentally discovered by computed tomography (CT). Outline of cases. In a 42-year-old woman with the adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction in whom CT was performed due to staging purposes, a hyper dense nodular lesion was found in the anterior upper mediastinum. Metastatic left supraclavicular lymph node was considered in the differential diagnosis. However, as node was located in front of the neck fascia and just below the thyroid gland and showed similar density to thyroid tissue, the diagnosis of accessory thyroid gland was made, which was later confirmed by multiple repeated CT scans during the two-year follow-up period. In a 52-year-old woman who was presented with intermittent chest pain and cough, contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed nodal thyroid goiter and three nodes of similar CT texture, located in the upper mediastinum, below the thyroid gland. Accordingly, the diagnosis of parasitic mediastinal goiter thyroid nodes was made. Conclusion. Ectopic thyroid nodes are presented by CT as well-circumscribed nodes of same density as the thyroid gland, typically located anteriorly in the upper mediastinum.

Ectopic Mediastinal and Lumbar Thyroid Tissue

The thyroid gland is found in the neck and corresponds to the 2-4 tracheal cartilages. It is rarely found in other sites and is termed ectopic thyroid tissue (ETT) once found. In this report, we present a case of a 19-year-old female who was diagnosed with ETT in the lumbar region and posterior mediastinal region after total thyroidectomy for a large dominant thyroid nodule. ETT has a unique presentation and physicians should be vigilant to diagnose it correctly and promptly to decrease morbidity associated with the disease.