Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Ectopic thyroid gland is a rare pathology due to an abnormality in the embryological development and/or migration of the gland. The aim of this study was to assess clinical and paraclinical characteristics of adult patients with ectopic thyroid gland.

Methods: This was a retrospective study including adult patients with ectopic thyroid gland. Clinical, biological, hormonal, radiological and therapeutic data were collected.

Results: Five patients (four women and a man) were enrolled in this study. Their median age was 40 years [extremes: 17-61]. Their past medical history included intellectual disability, stature retardation, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in two cases respectively and vitiligo in one case. All patients were referred to our department for management of hypothyroidism. On physical examination, all patients had non-palpable thyroid gland. The mean TSH level at baseline was 48.7 mIU/l [extremes: 7.6 -100]. Three patients had overt hypothyroidism and two patients had subclinical hypothyroidism. Two patients had a cervical ultrasound showing an empty thyroid compartment. Two other had cervical CT scan, showing sublingual mass in one case and retropharyngeal mass in the other. Thyroid scintigraphy was performed to all patients, showing two sublingual thyroids, one left paramedian, one sub-hyoid and one retropharyngeal. All patients were put on replacement therapy. The doses of levothyroxine to achieve euthyroidism varied from 75 µg to 200 µg/day.

Conclusion: The diagnosis of ectopic thyroid gland should be suspected in patients with hypothyroidism associated to a non-palpable thyroid gland in normal position even in adults. Its confirmation is radiological based on the scintigraphy.