A CASE REPORT OF PRIMARY ADENO-SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE THYROID GLAND

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid is of exceedingly rare occurrence and, because of its high degeee of biological malignancy, proves fatal within a year after onset in most instances as do anaplastic cell carcinomas. Reported in this paper is a case of this malignancy in which the patient has been surviving 19 months following an extensive radical operation. The patient was a 67-year-old woman who consulted us with the presenting complaints of an anterior cervical tumor mass and dysphagia. puncture and aspiration cytology of the thyroid, fluoroscopy and biopsy of the esophagus and neck CT led to a suspected diagnosis of adeno-squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid and total thyroidectomy was performed together with bilateral cervical lymph node dissection and joint surgical removal of the trachea, larynx, cervical esophagus and hypopharynx. The esophagus was reconstructed with a free jejunal graft. Histopathologically, the tumor was identified as an admixture of papillary and squamous cell carcinoma and diagnosed as adeno-squamous cell carcinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient is alive now, 19 month after operation. The present case appears to point to the necessity of performing an extensive radical operation for the thyroid malignancy in question.