A Case of Ectopic Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma in the Lateral Cervical Region

The occurrence of ectopic thyroid is due to improper descent of the thyroid primordium. Most frequently, ectopic thyroid occupies the midline region, which is associated with the thyroglossal duct. Malignant transformation of an ectopic thyroid is rare and it usually arises from a thyroglossal duct cyst. Ectopic thyroid carcinomas lacking thyroglossal duct cyst and located in the lateral cervical region are extremery rare. A metastasis from primary thyroid carcinoma must be ruled out. We report a patient with an ectopic thyroid papillary carcinoma in the lateral cervical region. Pathological examination demonstrated both ectopic normal thyroid and papillary carcinoma.