Thyroid metastasis from esophageal adenocarcinoma: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Background The incidence of metastatic spread of gastrointestinal malignancies to the thyroid gland is relatively low and most of these malignancies originate from the colorectum. Thyroid metastasis originating from the esophagus is poorly documented. Case presentation A 79-year-old man presented with hoarseness of voice and swallowing difficulty. Eighteen months earlier, he had undergone preoperative chemotherapy (S-1 and oxaliplatin [SOX] therapy) and subtotal esophagectomy with regional lymph nodes dissection and retrosternal narrow gastric tube reconstruction for advanced Barrett’s esophageal adenocarcinoma. In the ultrasonographic examination, there was a hypoechoic, indistinct border and heterogeneous nodule in the left lobe of the thyroid gland. Pathological examination of an ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration showed adenocarcinoma, supporting a diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma metastases in the thyroid. Conclusion This is a first case of a patient with thyroid metastasis from Barrett’s esophageal adenocarcinoma after subtotal esophagectomy.

Metastatic Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma Masquerading as Primary Thyroid Malignancy: A Case Report

“…Metastatic spread from the gastro-digestive tract is rare, and they mostly arise from the colo-rectum [3] [4]. An extensive search of the English medical literature revealed not more than ten reported cases of oesophageal carcinoma metastasis to the thyroid gland to date [4] [5].…”