A case of anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid gland

CASE: Herein, we describe the case of an 87-year-old man who presented with a neck mass that he had first noticed 2 months ago. Upon arrival at the hospital, cervical ultrasonography showed a cystic tumor of approximately 5×6 cm on the right lobe of the thyroid gland. A tracheal deviation was observed, without trachyphonia. The cancer was classified as class IV; however, cytological examination was unable to verify whether the tumor was undifferentiated. The patient retained his pacemaker for cardiac arrhythmia. Subsequently, his neck became red and hot, and these symptoms increased in severity for approximately 1 month. Surgery was performed for the purpose of local control. Perioperative findings indicated that the cystic component was necrotized, and adhesion to the adjacent organs was observed. The wound area was delineated on the basis of wounded area redness. One week postoperatively, the tumor increased in size and showed evidence of hemorrhage. Two weeks postoperatively, multiple lung metastases were observed. SUMMARY: There is no clear effective therapy for apoplastic thyroid cancer. This report provides valuable evidence regarding the effectiveness of performing surgery for this indication.