Metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma to the mandible: a case report

Metastatic Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma of the Mandible: A Case Report at Tertiary Care Rural Centre

The most common endocrine cancer is thyroid carcinoma, however it seldom spreads to the oral cavity. Follicular thyroid carcinoma is the second most common type of thyroid cancer after papillary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid carcinoma-related mandibular metastases is not very common, and there aren't many cases reported in the literature. We are describing a case in which the underlying cancer was diagnosed before the metastatic mandibular lesion was found. Total thyroidectomy and excision of the affected structures, with or without adjuvant therapy, appear to be the most effective treatments.

Mandibular metastasis of follicular thyroid carcinoma: A case report along with the concise review of literature

Metastasis is one of the most common consequences of malignant tumors, and it is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Metastatic cancers to oral cavity are extremely rare. Moreover, the true incidence has yet to be determined. Despite their rarity, they are important clinically, since they can be the first and the only evidence of spread in many situations. Breast, kidney, lung, prostate and gastrointestinal tract are the most common sources of metastases in the oral cavity. Thyroid carcinoma is the most prevalent type of endocrine cancer, yet it rarely spreads to the oral cavity. After papillary thyroid carcinoma, follicular thyroid carcinoma is the second-most frequent kind of thyroid cancer. Jawbones are more commonly affected than soft tissues. Literature research revealed that till date, 44 cases of metastatic follicular thyroid cancer to the jawbones have been documented with mandibular preponderance (40 cases). With the rising occurrence of oral metastatic tumors in recent years, it has become increasingly important to diagnose them early to avoid future consequences. We present here an unusual case of metastatic follicular thyroid cancer in the mandible of an elderly adult along with a comprehensive review of the literature.

Solitary metastatic deposit in the mandible from follicular thyroid carcinoma

Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is the second most common cancer of the thyroid, after papillary carcinoma. Oral metastasis arising from FTC is very rare. Mandible is more commonly affected than maxilla, with the premolar–molar region being the most frequent site of metastasis. We present the case of a 68yearold female, with swelling in the region of the parotid gland, complaining of periodic rightsided pain in the temporomandibular joint, which occurred most often in the morning with numbness and pain, and difficulty in opening the mouth. After ultrasound and X-ray, the patient was operated and the pathohistological finding was in favor of metastasis of FTC. After 3 months, a total thyroidectomy was performed, and FTC was detected in the right thyroid lobe. Laboratory results were as follows: FT₄ = 9.92 pmol/L, thyroid-stimulating hormone = 9.9 mIU/L, and hTG >300 μg/L. Bone scan showed no bone metastasis. Radioablation with ¹³¹I of 150 mCi was given to the patient, followed by substitutional therapy with levothyroxine. Mandible metastasis as a single skeletal deposit from follicular thyroid carcinomas is a rare clinical finding. Maxillofacial surgeons should consider and rule out thyroid pathology before performing operation of tumor formation in the mandible region. If feasible, surgical-based treatment options offer the best survival outcomes.

Mandibular metastasis revealed papillary thyroid carcinoma: Rare case

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Mandibular metastasis of thyroid cancer are rare and the initial metastases revealing papillary carcinoma are exceptional.

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Few cases are reported in the literature.

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Due to their rarities and relative lack of data on their management, there is no clearly defined processing algorithm.

Introduction

Papillary carcinoma is the most frequent differentiated malignant thyroid neoplasm, Metastasis occurs frequently in regional lymph nodes and mandibular metastasis are very rare and most are secondary to follicular carcinomas due to their blood diffusion, The mandibular metastasis of papillary carcinoma is exceptional.

Case report

We report a rare case of mandibular metastasis revealing papillary thyroid carcinoma in a 52-year-old patient, with a review of the literature on clinical features, radiological aspect, and treatment options.

Discussion conclusion

Mandibular metastasis of thyroid cancer are rare and the initial metastases revealing papillary carcinoma are exceptional, few cases are reported in the literature, and due to their rarities and relative lack of data on their management, There is no clearly defined processing algorithm.

An intra-thoracic follicular carcinoma of thyroid: An uncommon presentation

Follicular carcinoma of thyroid is the second most common type of carcinoma of thyroid, and it may metastasize to bone, lung, brain, and skin. However, the initial presentation of follicular carcinoma of the thyroid as a large intrathoracic mass without any symptoms of thyroid gland enlargement and dysfunction is very rare. We hereby report a case of a 50-year-old male who presented with chief complaints of chest and low back pain. Preliminary evaluation led to the provisional diagnosis of left-sided intrathoracic mass with vertebral metastasis which was suspected to be a case of bronchogenic carcinoma with distant metastasis. Surprisingly, transthoracic biopsy and histopathology revealed metastasis from follicular carcinoma of thyroid. This prompted us for a retrograde evaluation for a primary thyroid malignancy for which an ultrasound and contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the neck was done which confirmed the presence of a solitary thyroid nodule. Ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of the nodule revealed follicular carcinoma of thyroid. Histopathological evaluation subsequent to total thyroidectomy revealed follicular carcinoma thyroid, further confirming the diagnosis. The patient was then referred to Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy for radionuclide ablation and chemotherapy. We chose to report this case because of its rare presentation as a large intrathoracic mass and the retrograde diagnosis of follicular carcinoma of thyroid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such a rare case.

Metastasis to the Jawbones: A review of 453 cases

The purpose of the present article was to review the characteristics of the jawbone metastases to analyze all variables. A relevant English Literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar was performed. All variables such as age, gender, primary and secondary tumor sites were analyzed. There were 453 metastatic cases. The male-to-female ratio was 1.2:1, and the mean age of the patients was 53.4 years. The lung was the most common primary site in men, and breast in women. The most common metastatic site was the mandible, and adenocarcinoma was the most frequent histological diagnosis. Metastases to the jaw bones occur in the advanced stages of a malignancy hence; a careful examination of patients with jaw bone lesions is strongly suggested. Dentists, as well as general physicians, should take into consideration the possible presence of jaw metastases in cases which present atypical symptoms, especially in patients with known malignant disease.

Follicular thyroid carcinoma metastasis to the facial skeleton: a systematic review

Background

Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) metastasis to the facial skeleton is exceedingly rare. A case of FTC metastasizing to the mandible is presented and a systematic review of the literature describing thyroid metastasis to the facial skeleton is performed.

Case presentation

A 73-year-old female presented with metastatic FTC to the mandible and underwent total thyroidectomy, segmental mandibulectomy, bone impacted fibular free flap reconstruction, and adjuvant radioactive iodine treatment. The PubMed database was searched for literature describing thyroid cancer with facial skeleton metastasis using the key words “thyroid,” “cancer,” “carcinoma,” “metastasis,” and “malignancy” with “oral cavity,” “maxilla,” “mandible,” “sinus,” “paranasal,” and “orbit.” Reports that only involved the soft tissues were excluded. Systematic review revealed 59 cases of well-differentiated thyroid cancer with facial skeleton metastasis: 35 mandibular metastases (21 = FTC), 6 maxilla metastases (2 = FTC), 9 orbital metastases (4 = FTC), and 11 paranasal sinus metastases (7 = FTC). Treatment included surgery, RAI, external beam radiotherapy (XRT), or a combination of these modalities. The one, two, and five-year survival rates were 100%, 79%, and 16%, respectively.

Conclusion

Facial skeleton metastasis of FTC is a rare clinical challenge. Optimal treatment appears to include total thyroidectomy and resection of involved structures with or without adjuvant treatment.

Sympathetic Nerve Injury in Thyroid Cancer

The double innervation of the thyroid comes from the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Injury rates during surgery are at 30% but can be minimized by upwardly preparing the thyroid vessels at the level of thyroid capsule. Several factors have been accused of increasing the risk of injury including age and tumor size. Our aim was to investigate of there is indeed any possible correlations between these factors and a possible increase in injury rates following thyroidectomy. Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. Statistical correlation was observed for a positive relationship between injury of the sympathetic nerve and thyroid malignancy surgery (p 2 = 74%) No statistical correlations were observed for a negative or positive relationship between injury of the sympathetic nerve and tumor size. There was also no statistically significant value observed for the correlation of the patients' age with the risk of sympathetic nerve injury (p = 0.388). Lack of significant correlation reported could be due to the small number of studies and great heterogeneity between them.

Metastasis to the oral soft tissues: A review of 412 cases

The present review article analyzes the characteristics of metastases to the oral soft tissues from 1937 to 2015. An extensive literature search was performed. All variables such as age, gender, and primary and secondary tumor sites were analyzed. Metastases to the major salivary glands were not included in this review. In general, there were 412 metastatic lesions developed in the oral soft tissues. The male-to-female ratio was approximately 1.8:1. The mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 58. The lung was the most common primary site and the gingiva was the most common metastatic site. The greater part of the histological examination yielded adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis of a metastatic lesion in the oral cavity is a challenge to the clinicians due to the lack of pathognomonic signs and symptoms. Oral metastases usually occur in the advanced stages of cancers, and the interval between appearance and death is usually short. The oral soft tissue metastasis can be easily recognized compared to the metastasis of jawbones. Early detection of oral lesions is important in the case of being the first sign of a malignancy in other parts of body.

A retrospective study of six patients with mandibular metastatic carcinoma

Mandibular metastatic carcinoma is a rare lesion that accounts for <1% of all oral malignancies. To provide greater experience in this field, the present study was conducted in which 6 cases of mandibular metastatic carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. The origin of the lesions was the prostate in 2 cases, the lungs in 2 cases, the breast in 1 case and the thyroid gland in 1 case. The clinical and computed tomography features, surgical management and follow-up outcomes were investigated. The study indicated that surgeons should include the suspicion of metastasis in the differential diagnosis for mandibular tumor, particularly in patients who have a history of malignancy. A poor prognosis was associated with the examined patients. To extend the survival time as long as possible, a treatment strategy using multiple therapies, including segmental mandibulectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is recommended.

Mandibular metastasis in a patient with undiscovered synchronous thyroid and prostate cancer: A diagnostic dilemma

Background:

Mandibular metastasis as the first manifestation of undiscovered synchronous double primary cancers is extremely rare, so, it is presented in the current study.

Case History:

This study reports a 73-year-old man, complaining of a painful mass in the mandible. After history taking, physical examination and panoramic radiographic evaluation; an incisional biopsy was performed intraorally. Histological studies revealed a metastatic tumor of epithelial origin with nonspecific primary site. During metastatic workup of the patient, it was accidentally found that three organs including prostate, lung and thyroid were involved with cancer. Using immunohistochemical study (prostate-specific antigen (PSA), thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) and thyroglobulin), a final diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma metastasis to the mandible was established.

Discussion:

This case report showed that the practitioners should always maintain a high index of suspicion to the possibility that a patient with an orofacial metastatic lesion may have two or more synchronous primary cancers.

A rare case of gingival metastases from papillary thyroid carcinoma

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The attached gingiva is a rare site for metastasis in the oral cavity.

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Metastasis to the oral cavity usually indicates disseminated malignant disease.

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Clinicians must be vigilant when presented with an oral soft tissue mass in patients with a known underlying malignancy.

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There should be a low threshold to biopsy gingival lesions in patients with a history of carcinoma.

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Early identification of distant metastases in the oral cavity is important in planning appropriate and timely palliative management.

Metastatic oral malignancy accounts for 1% of all oral cancers. Oral soft tissue involvement is rare and accounts for less than 0.1% of all oral tumours with the attached gingiva being the commonest site affected. We present the first reported case of a papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with sarcomatoid transformation giving rise to gingival metastasis.

A 71 year old man with a history of PTC presented with an asymptomatic gingival swelling adjacent to his lower right lateral incisor. Subsequent biopsy of the lesion confirmed PTC metastasis with aggressive sarcomatoid features. We present a clinical photograph of the gingival swelling and the pathology images demonstrating both the papillary and sarcomatoid features of the gingival biopsy.

The prognosis of PTC is usually excellent but some histological variants of PTC behave more aggressively. The histology in our case demonstrated solid areas and sarcomatoid transformation and behaved far more aggressively than typical PTC. Sarcomatoid transformation in PTC has not been previously described and indicates a poor prognosis and the need for planning urgent palliation. These lesions can present a diagnostic challenge to both pathologists and clinicians in identifying the lesion as metastatic and locating the primary cancer.

This case demonstrates the need for vigilance amongst health professionals when presented with an oral soft tissue mass in patients with a known primary malignancy. This may be the first evidence of disseminated disease and emphasises a low threshold to biopsy oral soft tissue lesions in patients with a history of malignant disease.

Metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma to the maxilla: case report and literature review

Metastatic tumors to the oral cavity are uncommon and a thyroid origin is considered exceedingly rare. A case of metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) presenting as a painful swelling in the right posterior maxilla of a 63-year-old male is reported here. The patient had been diagnosed with PTC 2 years ago and treated with thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine treatment. Radiographically, the metastatic lesion presented as a poorly-defined radiolucent lesion around an impacted maxillary third molar in the right maxilla. Histopathologic examination revealed features of PTC which was immunohistochemically positive for pancytokeratin, keratin 19 and thyroglobulin. Imaging studies revealed the presence of residual maxillary and neck disease as well as additional metastatic lesions in the sternum, ribs, and left tibia. A thorough review of the English language literature revealed only 36 previously published cases of thyroid cancer metastases to the oral cavity, the demographic and clinicopathologic features of which are summarized.