Lingual Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of Surgical Approaches in the Literature

V, Mehdi S, Mohammed A. A Diagnostic Protocol and Management of Lingual Thyroid: A Case Report

Introduction:

The lingual thyroid is a rare embryological abnormality caused by the thyroid's failure to descend from the foramen caecum to its normal prelaryngeal site. Although the ectopic gland at the base of the tongue is usually asymptomatic, it can cause localized symptoms.

Case Presentation:

In this case, we have a 12-year-old male paediatric patient who has hypothyroidism and is experiencing a foreign body sensation. Treatment included partial endoscopic removal via a transoral approach, followed by hormone replacement therapy.

Conclusion:

We highlighted in this article about the differential diagnosis, diagnostic protocols, and therapeutic options.

Is Transoral Robotic Surgery the Best Surgical Treatment for Lingual Thyroid?: A Case-Report and Literature Review

OBJECTIVES

To highlight the specific outcomes of the current surgical procedures for lingual thyroid excision, for benign and malignant lesions.

METHODS

We carried out a systematic review of surgical treatments of lingual thyroid, according to the PRISMA method. We conducted our literature search in PubMed and Ovid. Data was collected concerning patient demographics, tumor characteristics, types of surgery performed, and specific intra- and postoperative outcomes of each procedure. Surgical procedures were classified in 4 categories: transcervical approaches, "invasive" transoral approaches (transmandibular and/or tongue splitting), "non-invasive" transoral approaches, and transoral robotic surgery. We detailed the transoral robotic surgical technique through a case report, along with a surgical video.

RESULTS

Of 373 peer-reviewed articles found, 40 provided adequate information on surgical management and outcomes for patients with lingual thyroid. "Non-invasive" transoral approaches and transoral robotic surgeries required significantly fewer tracheostomies than "invasive" transoral and transcervical approaches (P < .001), while there was no statistical difference in the rate of surgical complications between each procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

Transoral robotic surgery appears to be a feasible, effective, and fast solution for lingual thyroid excision, with excellent short- and long-term surgical outcomes.

Thyroid tissue outside the thyroid gland: Differential diagnosis and associated diagnostic challenges

The presence of thyroid tissue outside of the thyroid gland may occur in various clinical settings and anatomic locations and includes both benign and malignant differential diagnoses. Some of these entities include thyroglossal duct cyst, lingual thyroid, parasitic nodule, thyroid tissue within a lymph node and struma ovarii. In routine daily practice, these entities do pose diagnostic challenges for the pathologists. Differential diagnostic considerations depend largely on the location of lesion and the histologic features. A definitive diagnosis may remain unclear in some cases while knowledge is still evolving in others i.e., incidentally detected bland appearing thyroid follicles in a lateral neck lymph node. This article aims to elaborate on the various entities characterized by thyroid tissue outside of the thyroid gland, both benign and malignant, and the relevant differential diagnostic considerations.

TORS excision of lingual thyroid carcinoma: Technique and systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Clinically significant lingual thyroid tissue has a prevalence of 1/3000-10,000, and in 70% of these individuals, the lingual thyroid is their only thyroid tissue. Malignant transformation is exceedingly rare. Herein, we present a case of lingual thyroid carcinoma with a systematic literature review and description of our treatment technique.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Ovid.

REVIEW METHOD

The primary author performed a search of the literature for reports of lingual thyroid carcinoma or ectopic thyroid carcinoma associated with the tongue. Articles that did not present novel data, presented cases of ectopic thyroid carcinoma outside the tongue, non-malignant cases, non-thyroid carcinomas, or were non-English articles were excluded. Studies were limited to those published in the last 60 years.

RESULTS

There are 39 cases reported in the literature. 23 cases occurred in females. Age at diagnosis ranged from 12 to 86; cases were more commonly diagnosed in the second decade of life, then in the 5th and 6th decades of life. Dysphagia, globus sensation, episodes of bleeding, voice changes, and presence of a neck mass were common symptoms at initial presentation. Nearly all patients underwent some form of pre-operative imaging, but practices varied as to the type of imaging. Treatment included surgical excision of the tumor in all but one case that was successfully treated with radioactive iodine therapy alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgeons should be aware of lingual thyroid, its presentation, workup, and carcinoma treatment. Tumors are amenable to surgical excision, possibly followed by radioactive iodine therapy. Advances in robotic and endoscopic surgery over the past decade now allow for less morbid excisions of lingual thyroid tumors.

Lingual ectopic papillary thyroid carcinoma: Two case reports and review of the literature

Ectopic thyroid occurs when it is not located on the normal thyroid compartment. While 90% of the ectopic thyroids were located at the base of the tongue, only 1% were lingual thyroid carcinoma (LTC). Only 56 LTC cases have been reported so far. Here we reported two cases of LTC. Patient 1 was a 47-year-old female with LTC and co-current sub-hyoid ectopic thyroid. She experienced major hematemesis and dyspnea requiring emergent tracheotomy. Patient 2 was a 61-year old female who was presented with LTC with multiple lymph node metastasis and bilateral lung metastasis. Both of the patients' lingual masses were removed via trans-submaxillary excisions. Pathology revealed ectopic papillary thyroid carcinoma. Then they were treated with radio-active iodine (RAI). These patients had full recovery and there were no complications. A review of literature was also presented.