Uğur Kesici1, Özgür Koral2, Savaş Karyağar3, Sevgi Kesici4, Aysun Yılbaş5, Sevda Karyağar3, Emine Mataracı6, İlker Mataracı2

1Department of General Surgery, Giresun University Faculty of Medicine, Giresun, Turkey
2Clinic of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ahi Evren Thorasic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey
3Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey
4Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Giresun University Faculty of Medicine, Giresun, Turkey
5Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
6Clinic of Pathology, Akçaabat Haçkalı Baba State Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey

Abstract

Ectopic thyroid tissue has been found from the tongue to the diaphragm. The most common ectopic thyroid tissue has been found in the tongue, submandibular region, cervical lymph nodes, larynx, trachea, oesophagus, mediastinum, diaphragm and heart respectively. “Forgotten goiter” is an extremely rare disease which is defined as a mediastinal thyroid mass found after total thyroidectomy. In this case report, we discussed a 49 year-old female patient whose retrosternal ectopic thyroid tissue was detected by thyroid scintigraphy taken in postoperative period after total thyroidectomy performed with diagnosis of multinodular goiter. Papillary carcinoma was determined by the histopathological examination. Ectopic thyroid tissue was removed by performing sternotomy. We did not observe any postoperative surgical complications. 100 mCi dose of radioactive iodine was administered to the patient. Retrosternal ectopic thyroid tissue detected after total thyroidectomy is a rarely encountered condition. Therefore, retrosternal ectopic thyroid tissue existence should be definitely kept in mind in patients with no increase in thyroid stimulating hormone level after total thyroidectomy.

Keywords: Total thyroidectomy, retrosternal, ectopic, thyroid, goiter


 

Peer Review

Externally peer-reviewed.

Author Contributions

Concept - U.K., S.Kesici; Design - U.K., S.Kesici.; Supervision - S.Kesici., İ.M.; Funding - U.K., S.Kesici., Ö.K., A.Y., E.M.; Materials - U.K., Savaş.K., Ö.K.; Data Collection and/or Processing - U.K., S.Kesici., A.Y., Ö.K., İ.M., E.M.; Analysis and/or Interpretation - U.K., S.Kesici., Sevda.K., Savaş.K., S.Kesici., E.M.; Literature Review - U.K., Savaş.K., S.Kesici., Sevda.K.; Writer - U.K.; Critical Review - Savaş.K., Sevda.K., S.Kesici., İ.M., E.M., A.Y.

Conflict of Interest

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

Financial Disclosure

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.