Dual thyroid ectopia with a normally located pretracheal thyroid gland: case report and literature review.

Abstract: Background. Only 1 case with dual thyroid ectopyand a normally located thyroid gland has been reported.Methods. We present the case of a 71-year-old woman whohad 1-sided lateral neck swelling in the right submandibularspace, which grew and doubled in size within 1 year. A CT scandemonstrated 2 right submandibular, lobulated, heterogeneouslyenhanced masses, an ectopic lingual thyroid, and bilateral thyroidgoiter. A Tc-99m sodium pertechnetate thyroid scan revealed acold area in the right lateral neck region below the submandibulargland, an ectopic lingual thyroid, and bilateral pretracheal thy-roids. She underwent total thyroidectomy and en bloc excision ofrightneck masses. Thyroxinwas prescribed followingthesurgery.Results. Pathological diagnoses were ectopic thyroid tissuewith goitrous change and bilateral thyroid goiter.Conclusion. This report demonstrates that dual ectopic thy-roid tissue accompanying a normally located thyroid gland canexist and should be differentiated from head and neck malignan-cies. VV