Cutaneous metastasis of thyroid cancer presenting as a nodulocystic mass with ulceration

Unusual metastases from tall cell variant of papillary thyroid cancer

“…Regarding the third point, skin metastases from thyroid cancer are rare and usually occur in the setting of cancer dissemination . We searched on Medline for reports published with the search terms “cutaneous metastases” and “thyroid carcinoma” and we found 55 cases of cutaneous metastases of thyroid carcinoma from 1964 until 2010 . From our revision, we found that the most common histotype resulting in skin metastases was PTC, followed by follicular thyroid carcinoma, and anaplastic and medullary carcinoma.…”

Cutaneous Metastasis of Head and Neck Malignancy

“…The remaining 26% (12 cases) of thyroid malignancies metastasized to distant skin sites outside the head and neck and in 66% ( 8) of these there were metastases at distant skin sites without concurrent metastases in the skin of the head and neck. The five exceptions to nodular SM (two cysts, 35,48 two rashes, 43,47 one ulcer) 41 were seen at sites outside the head and neck region in all but one case of erythematous rash of the face 43 nine cases of skin deposits arising within fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) tracts or post-thyroidectomy scars are reported. 7,[19][20][21][22][23]25,42 As expected the prognosis from this is far better compared to true metastasis from thyroid tumors, with DFS observed up to 6 to 7 years.…”

“…All presentations were nodular except one case with nodules and cysts presenting in the lower neck. 48 The total 11/17 (65%) cases presented with multiple skin sites involved. Three cases involved distal skin sites (lower limb, abdomen) without head and neck skin involvement.…”