A Case of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Arising in a Thyroglossal Duct Cyst with Complete Ectopic Thyroid Gland / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Malignant tumor arising in a thyroglossal duct cyst is very rare, occurring in less than 1% of thyroglossal duct cysts. Papillary carcinoma is the most common histologic type. In most cases the diagnosis is only established after excision of a clinically benign thyroglossal duct cyst. The etiology and management of papillary carcinoma arising in a thyroglossal duct cyst remain controversial. Two theories of the etiology, de novo origin and spread from a primary thyroid gland tumor, have been suggested. These have important implications for therapeutic approaches. We report a case of papillary carcinoma arising in a thyroglossal duct cyst without normal thyroid gland.