Dual Ectopic Thyroid: A Case Report / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Ectopic thyroid is an uncommon embryological aberration characterized by the presence of thyroid tissue in a site other than in its usual pretracheal region. It occurs along the path of descent of the developing thyroid primodium from the foramen cecum. It most commonly presents as a lingual thyroid, and is the only thyroid in 70% of all cases. It is extremely rare for two ectopic foci of thyroid tissue to present simultaneously. The authors report a recent case of dual ectopic thyroid present in the lingual and infrahyoid area with no thyroid tissue in the pretracheal area in a 15 year-old girl. The presence of dual ectopic thyroid tissue was confirmed by CT and scintigram with 99 mTc. The patient had originally been scheduled for surgery under the impression of a thyroglossal duct cyst, but the pre-operative neck CT and thyroid scans revealed the presence of a dual ectopic thyroid, thus preventing unnecessary surgery. Therefore, ultrasound scans or a neck CT's and thyroid scans should be performed routinely to confirm the presence of thyroid in the normal position and avoid unnecessary surgeries.