Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Thyroid Gland with Lymphovascular Invasion: A Case Report

Abstract

Mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs) are generally found in salivary glands, but they have also been mentioned in other organs such as the larynx, esophagus, and breast. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the thyroid is a very rare and lowgrade indolent neoplasm. In past reports of the thyroid MEC, only nine cases were described as poor prognosis. We here present a case of a female patient, 29 years old, euthyroid, no chronic medical illness, no drug history, non-smoker; she is married and has 3 children. She presented to the hospital with painless neck swelling. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) showed mixture of squamoid cells and pale enlarged cells with cytoplasmic vacuoles and devoid of colloid with possible pseudo inclusions. (Consistent with Hűrthle cell neoplasm). Lt hemithyroidectomy was done and sent to histopathology for diagnosis. Histopathology analysis revealed a microscopic focus of intrathyroidal intermediate-grade MEC within the Lt lobe nodule. The patient was scheduled for completion thyroidectomy with midline cervical lymphadenectomy after metastatic work-up was done. The present case is a rare presentation of intermediate-grade thyroidal MEC