Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma with synchronous asymptomatic advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is a subset of papillary thyroid carcinoma, with tumors measuring ≤1.0 cm in maximum diameter. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common histopathological subtype of the various esophageal malignancies. The present study reports a rare synchronous presentation of PTMC and asymptomatic ESCC manifesting as lateral cervical lymph node enlargement. The patient, a 70-year-old male who presented to the Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Wenzhou, China)with no significant symptoms, was identified to have bilateral thyroid nodules by ultrasonography and enlarged lymph nodes on the left side of the neck by palpation. A diagnosis of PTMC with lateral cervical lymph node metastasis was established and the patient underwent right lobectomy, partial left lobectomy and lymph node biopsy. Pathological analysis of the intraoperative frozen biopsy indicated bilateral PTMC and metastatic lymph node SCC from a different primary location. Furthermore, histological examination of the biopsied lymph nodes revealed bilateral PTMC and poorly-differentiated SCC, which was verified as ESCC by gastroscopy and postoperative histopathological examination. A review of the present literature indicated that no similar case has been reported thus far. The patient succumbed three months after attending Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (Shanghai, China) for additional treatment.

Synchronous occurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma and early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a 45-year-old female: a case report and review of the literature

“…The introduction of innovative diagnostic procedures and the longer life expectancy have raised the global incidence of diagnosing multiple primary malignant neoplasms in a single patient. Regardless, co-existing primary cancers of the esophagus and thyroid gland remain extremely rare [ 3 ]. The current study reports the coexistence of PTC and esophageal SCC.…”

“…Similar published cases were reported by Cheng et al ., Naomoto et al ., Juhász et al ., Resta et al ., and Mattavelli et al . [ 3 , 5 - 8 ]. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations were recognized in various malignancies with variable frequencies.…”

“…Although PTC commonly has a favorable clinical outcome with an excellent prognosis, regional lymph node and distant metastasis have been widely described in the literature [ 3 ]. In our patient, the imaging findings of the asymptomatic nodules and the absence of lymph node enlargement were highly suggestive of PTC.…”

“…Occasionally, patients can have a metastatic SCC while completely asymptomatic [ 2 ]. There are sparse reports of PTC and esophageal SCC coexistence in the literature [ 3 , 4 ]. We herein report a case of a 45-year-old female patient diagnosed with PTC and esophageal SCC confirmed histopathologically; furthermore, we reviewed the literature on the clinical evaluation management of similar cases.…”

Co-Occurrence of Hotspot Point Mutation and Novel Deletion Mutation of TERT Promoter in Solid Variant Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Patient with Synchronous Esophageal Cancer

“…Common secondary primary tumor sites include aerodigestive tract organs, such as the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, lungs, and stomach [ 34 ], and the treatment and prognosis for these patients are determined primarily by the initial esophageal cancer [ 36 ]. The incidence of multiple primary cancers involving the esophagus and thyroid is low, and only less than 20 patients have been reported [ 37 ]. Most of these patients had advanced clinical staging of cancer.…”