Thyroid hemiagenesis associated with medullary or papillary carcinoma: report of cases

Head Neck. 2014 Nov;36(11):E106-11. doi: 10.1002/hed.23501. Epub 2014 Feb 26.

Abstract

Background: Thyroid hemiagenesis is a rare congenital anomaly in which 1 thyroid lobe fails to develop. Co-occurrence of hemiagenesis and thyroid carcinoma is extremely rare. Here, we report 2 cases of thyroid hemiagenesis with carcinoma.

Methods: The first patient was referred with a left thyroid mass and absent right lobe. The frozen section examination revealed medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC); therefore, a left thyroid lobectomy plus neck dissection was performed. Another patient was referred with a right thyroid mass and absent left lobe. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy was suspicious for papillary carcinoma. The patient underwent right thyroid lobectomy plus neck dissection.

Results: The operative findings confirmed hemiagenesis of the right lobe and MTC in the left lobe for the first case, and hemiagenesis of the left lobe and papillary carcinoma in the right lobe for the second case.

Conclusion: Our case represents the first reported case of association between thyroid hemiagenesis and MTC.

Keywords: embryologic anomaly; medullary carcinoma; papillary carcinoma; thyroid disease; thyroid hemiagenesis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine
  • Carcinoma, Papillary / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Papillary / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Papillary / surgery
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Middle Aged
  • Neck Dissection
  • Rare Diseases
  • Risk Assessment
  • Thyroid Gland / abnormalities*
  • Thyroid Gland / pathology
  • Thyroid Gland / surgery
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / surgery
  • Thyroidectomy / methods*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler

Supplementary concepts

  • Thyroid cancer, medullary