Aggressive form of thyroglossal duct cyst carcinoma: role of ablative dose of Iodine-131

Ectopic thyroid tissue carcinoma is very rare and has usually good prognosis. It could arise in 1 percent of thyroglossal duct cysts (TDC), the most common nonodontogenic cysts that occur in the neck, which results from a failure in obliterating the embryogenic duct produced during thyroid migration. TDC is most often diagnosed during the childhood but may be discovered later in adult age. In most of the cases reported in the literature, thyroid carcinoma arising in the TDC is limited to the cyst without local extension and its efficient treatment consist of the surgical removal of the cyst by Sistrunk's operation. However, some controversies remain regarding the indication of total thyroidectomy when thyroid investigations are normal. Cases of aggressive thyroid carcinomas of the TCD with metastatic cervical lymph nodes are exceptional, mainly when histological findings of the thyroid gland are normal. We report a case of an aggressive form of a thyroglossal duct cyst carcinoma complicated with several infiltrated cervical lymph nodes but normal thyroid gland. The therapeutic strategy adopted in this case shows the decisive role of the post-operative ablative dose of Iodine-131 both for treatment and staging of aggressive form of thyroid carcinoma arising in thyroglossal duct cyst.

Septal endocarditis, bone infection and severe leg ischemia detected in Tc-99m labelled monoclonal anti granulocyte scan

Patient 28 years old has continued to have a persistent fever (39.2°C), despite ten days treatment by specific antibiotics for bacterial endocarditis associated to a recent claudication of the right lower leg. The persistent fever has motivated a 99mTc-labelled monoclonal anti granulocyte scan which has showed an important uptake in the myocardial septum, and other infection locations in temporal bone and in right tibial arteries. Two days after, a nanocolloids-99mTc WBS showed no uptake in the heart area, a total absence of uptake of the nanocolloids in the bone marrow of right tibia b and cranial SPECT views confirmed the infectious site in the right temporal bone. New antibiotic strategy was adopted successfully associated with surgical amputation of the right lower leg.