Simultaneous Papillary Carcinoma in Thyroglossal Duct Cyst and Thyroid

Abstract

Thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC) is a cystic expansion of a remnant of the thyroglossal duct tract. Carcinomas in the TDC are extremely rare and are usually an incidental finding after the Sistrunk procedure. In this report, an unusual case of a 36-year-old woman with concurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma arising in the TDC and on the thyroid gland is presented, followed by a discussion of the controversies surrounding the possible origins of a papillary carcinoma in the TDC, as well as the current management options.

Coexisting Thyroglossal Duct Cyst with Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Case Report and Literature Review

“…In the present patient, the Sistrunk procedure was implemented for the TGDC, along with classical total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma, as there is a high incidence of the co-occurrence of thyroid carcinoma and TGDC carcinoma (25–56%) [ 11 ]. The authors performed these procedures using two incisions: one in the inferior part of the neck and the other in the upper part of the neck to access the TGDC as it was in a high location.…”

“…Hence, it is still difficult to preoperatively diagnose TGDCs with malignancies because the preoperative workup results are almost identical to the findings for TGDCs without malignancies [ 5 , 9 , 10 ]. The co-occurrence of thyroid carcinoma with TGDC carcinoma has a relatively high incidence, being reported in 25–56% of cases [ 11 ]. Thyroid cancer should be suspected in the presence of a thyroid nodule, which accounts for 7–15% of cases.…”

Papillary Carcinoma in Thyroglossal Duct Cyst and Thyroid Gland with Hashimoto

“…In most cases, thyroid carcinoma is diagnosed incidentally by histological investigation after resection of a TGDC. In cases where eutopic thyroid is present, and cancer cells are evident in both eutopic and ectopic thyroid tissues, it is difficult to determine the true origin of thyroid carcinoma [11]. The diagnostic steps involve ultrasonography and/or magnetic resonance tomography of the neck, followed by FNA biopsy [12].…”

Management of the Thyroid Gland in Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroglossal Cyst: A Case Report

“…The preoperative diagnosis of carcinoma is often difficult, and in most cases, thus postoperative histopathology which reveals the diagnosis. 2 Suspicious clinical and ultrasonographic features may warrant a fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or fine needle biopsy. 3 The benefits of diagnosing TGC carcinoma preoperatively are pre-operative patient counseling, the decision on the extent of surgery, and deciding on the need for radioiodine therapy.…”