Primary papillary carcinoma of the thyroglossal duct in a 14-year-old female: case report and review of the literature.

Amel El Korbi,Jihène Houas,Jamel Koubaa,Khaled Harrathi,Rachida Bouatay

doi:10.11604/pamj.2019.32.121.15246

Abstract

Thyroglossal duct carcinoma is a rare pathologic entity. The surgeon's main concern is whether to perform thyroidectomy or not. In this paper, we report another case of thyroglossal papillary duct carcinoma in a 14-old girl suspected preoperatively and confirmed postoperatively on the histological analysis of resected specimen by a Sistrunk procedure. Therapeutic strategy was completed by a total thyroidectomy with radioactive iodine therapy and suppressive levothyroxine therapy. In the absence of clear guidelines, the management of thyroglossal duct carcinoma is depending on the clinical situation and the experience of the team of surgeons.

Highlights

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TDCs) are the commonest congenital anomaly in the development of the thyroid gland
Brentano et al reported the first description of a thyroglossal duct carcinoma (TDCa) in 1911
Pfeiffer reported that 21 out of the 26 cases of pediatric patients with TDCa reported in English literature were papillary carcinomas [1]

Summary

Introduction

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TDCs) are the commonest congenital anomaly in the development of the thyroid gland It manifests as a swelling in the midline of the neck that moves with deglutition and protrusion of the tongue. TDCa in children is even rarer than in adults, with few cases reported in the English literature [1] Most of these malignancies share a common histology with those of the main thyroid gland and most of them are papillary carcinoma (7585%). Physical examination revealed a 3cm mass of located in the midline region of the neck covered by a normal skin (Figure 1) It was mobile with deglutition and protrusion of the tongue. The patient underwent CT before and after intravenous contrast medium It revealed a lobulated cystic lesion (2cm × 1.8cm × 3.3cm) with a calcified component (Figure 2). The patient's serum thyroglobulin levels were undetectable 12 months after follow-up

Discussion

Findings

Conclusion