A Case of Lateral Ectopic Thyroid Mimicking the Metastatic Lymphadenopathy

Abstract

Ectopic thyroid means that thyroid tissue is present at an unusual area rather than at the orthotropic thyroid position. The most common form of ectopic thyroid is lingual thyroid, followed by thyroglossal duct cyst. Ectopic thyroid in the lateral neck area is extremely rare, with only a few case reports found in the literature review. Several studies recommended that metastasizing malignancy should be considered in lateral ectopic thyroid. Described here is a case of 60 year-old woman with lateral ectopic thyroid, which was newly found during a follow-up and was mistaken for metastatic lymphadenopathy.