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Hepatic incidentaloma: An asymptomatic ectopic thyroid tissue

Authors :
Claudia Di Stefano
Valentina Guarnotta
Maria Barbaccia
Rosario Paratore
Roberta La Monica
Antonio Lo Casto
Massimo Midiri
Salvatore Gruttadauria
Carla Giordano
Pierina Richiusa
Source :
Frontiers in Endocrinology, Vol 13 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2022.

Abstract

An ectopic thyroid is a form of thyroid dysgenesis in which the entire thyroid gland or parts of it may be located in another part of the body than the usual place. The most frequent location is the base of the tongue. Although most cases are asymptomatic, symptoms related to tumor size and its relationship with surrounding tissues, hormonal dysfunction, and seldom malignancy may also occur. Here, we describe the case of an asymptomatic woman who was thyroidectomized 19 years previously for a toxic goiter and treated with conventional L-thyroxine therapy, until we enacted a progressive reduction of dosage of the replacement therapy. Incidentally, because of occasional abdomen discomfort, she was hospitalized in our Division of Endocrinology as there was ultrasound evidence of a large mass in the liver dislocating and imprinting the choledochal duct in the pre-pancreatic site, the gallbladder, and the cystic duct, which could not be dissociated from the contiguous hepatic parenchyma and was in very close proximity to the second duodenal portion and the head of the pancreas. Imaging techniques, such as TC, MR, TC/PET, and 131I scintigraphy, confirmed the large lesion with a diameter on the axial plane of about 8 × 5.5 cm and a cranio-caudal extension of about 6 cm. The impossibility of surgical debulking and/or radiometabolic 131I therapy, in the absence of compression symptoms, led to the multidisciplinary decision of a clinical and instrumental follow-up of this rare lesion.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
16642392
Volume :
13
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Endocrinology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.8d9256c0d6424bdaa837d988e2f89ffc
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.1066188