Endocrine Abstracts

Ectopic thyroid tissue, defined as thyroid tissue not located anterolaterally to the second and fourth tracheal cartages, is rare. In the majority of the cases it is located in the midline, between the foramen caecum and the proper location of the thyroid gland and most often it is found in the base of the tongue. We present a case of ectopic thyroid in the lower cervical area in a patient with a multinodular goiter. A 27-yr-old asymptomatic woman presented with a recent history of a painless mass in the left side of her lower neck. Thyroid function tests were normal. An ultrasound of her neck showed a multinodular goiter and a 3.4 cm solid mass in the left lower cervical area. These findings were confirmed by an MRI scan of her neck. The Tc99 m Pertechnetate scan showed the presence of a hyperfunctioning area under the left lobe of the thyroid gland. The patient refused a fine needle aspiration. The patient underwent surgery where the cervical mass was identified as separate from the left lobe of the thyroid, without any attachments to the body of the gland and was uniformly resected. A subtotal thyroidectomy was also performed. Histology revealed ectopic thyroid tissue. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery; she was euthyroid and had normal calcium levels. Ectopic thyroid tissue should be considered in the diagnosis of a cervical mass even in the presence of a eutopic thyroid gland. The treatment of choice for ectopic thyroid tissue is surgical removal.