Cystic neck metastases in a silent papillary thyroid carcinoma mimicking benign lesion: an unusual presentation

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid malignancy worldwide. It accounts for more than 80% of all thyroid malignancies. Women in the age group of 40 to 50 years old are most commonly affected. Patients with PTC usually present with goitre. However there are increasing reports of microcarcinoma of PTC. Fine needle aspiration cytology is considered the best investigation to diagnose a thyroid nodule pre-operatively. A non-goitre thyroid lesion is challenging to diagnose. We report an unusual presentation of PTC in a young female presenting with a lateral cystic neck mass. This reported incidence of this manifestation is less than 2%.