Ectopic Thyroid at the Base of the Tongue of a Young Patient

Abstract

Lingual thyroid is defined as an ectopic thyroid gland tissue located in the midline of the tongue base and it is uncommonly observed in clinical practice and is rare in children. This paper describes the surgical treatment of ectopic thyroid at the base of the tongue in a child. The chief complaint of the 12-year-old, melanodermic female patient was the difficulty to swallow for 15 days. The intraoral physical examination barely showed a nodular lesion at tongue base. The CT scan showed a round, well defined hyperdense lesion of approximately 25.8 mm at its largest diameter, with infiltrative growth in the posterior region of the base of the tongue. The proposed treatment was complete resection of the lesion. The histopathological diagnosis was lingual thyroid. After the diagnosis was established, the patient was referred to an endocrinologist for exams and medical follow-up. Lingual thyroid is a rare condition and its diagnosis in children is even rarer. Its approach should be transdisciplinary and should take into consideration the hormonal aspects of the patient in addition to the clinical condition of the lesion. In the presented case, the removal of the alteration was performed via conservative surgical procedure followed by immediate referral of the patient to the endocrinologist for a follow-up.

Incidental lingual thyroid with subclinical hypothyroidism: case report

“…The diagnostic work-up for lingual thyroid includes CT, magnetic resonance imaging, technetium scanning, and fine needle aspiration [7]. Thyroid function tests are used to evaluate the functional status of the thyroid gland.…”

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

“…Of the 373 peer-reviewed articles found, 96 were assessed for eligibility. Finally, 40 reports provided adequate information on surgical management and outcomes for patients with LT 7,12,15,16,18 -51 (Figure 3). The majority were case reports and 6 were case series with a maximum of 6 patients, for a total of 61 patients, including our case.…”

Nodular lesion on the posterior dorsal surface of the tongue

“…Scintigraphy scanning with the use of Tc-99 m is the most useful diagnostic tool in localizing ectopic thyroid tissue. 12 Treatment of lingual thyroid consists of thyroid hormone therapy to suppress the lingual thyroid and reduce its size. Rarely, surgical excision is necessary, especially when ulceration or secondary infection is present.…”

“…Rarely, surgical excision is necessary, especially when ulceration or secondary infection is present. 12…”