Lung metastases are more common in metastatic disease in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Because of its insidious onset and slow development, clinical diagnosis is relatively difficult. Some possible diagnostic methods for detecting the lung metastasis of DTC including serological examination, radionuclide imaging and other medical imaging patterns are discussed in this paper. The progress and the current situation about investigation of those modalities which are in the early diagnosis, recurrent and clinical evaluation for the lung metastasis of DTC are briefly reviewed. Therefore, it is expected to promote DTC with lung metastasis to a higher diagnostic level.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; secondary ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; pathology

PURPOSE: An association between primary hyperparathyroidism and well differentiated thyroid carcinoma has been frequently reported. However, there have been few reports of secondary hyperparathyroidism associated with thyroid carcinoma. This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of thyroid nodule including thyroid carcinoma in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism and to suggest more proper diagnostic approach for such cases. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on fifty-two patients who underwent parathyroid surgery for secondary hyperparathyroidism between March, 1986 and December, 2003. RESULTS: In 20 patients (38.5%), thyroid surgery was added because of coexistent thyroid nodules. Five (25%) out of the 22 patients with coexistent thyroid nodule had thyroid carcinoma. Among the 5 thyroid carcinoma patients, 4 had papillary carcinomas and one had a follicular carcinoma. Mean size of thyroid carcinomas was 1.4 cm (0.3~3.0 cm). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of thyroid carcinoma in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism was higher than that in the general population. An aggressive diagnostic approach (ultrasonography and FNAB) should be considered when the patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism present with thyroid nodules.
Carcinoma, Papillary ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary* ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule*

Aged ; Humans ; Leg ; Leiomyosarcoma ; pathology ; secondary ; therapy ; Male ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; pathology ; secondary ; therapy

Carcinoma ; secondary ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; secondary

Adult ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland ; pathology ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; secondary ; Ultrasonography

Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/secondary* ; Liver Neoplasms/surgery* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/surgery* ; Neoplasms, Second Primary

A 63-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with a tender abdominal wall mass about 15 cm in diameter, which she had for 1 month. About 1 week earlier, the patient had also perceived a mass in the neck area. Computed tomography revealed huge thyroid and periumbilical masses. The thyroid hormone levels were consistent with a hyperthyroid state. Pathological examination of the thyroid mass was compatible with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and the abdominal cutaneous mass was shown to be metastatic ATC. Despite palliative radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the patient died of respiratory failure on her 63rd day of hospitalization. This case demonstrates that abdominal cutaneous metastasis and hyperthyroidism can occur as initial manifestations of ATC. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case.
Abdomen ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism/*etiology ; Middle Aged ; Skin Neoplasms/*secondary ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; pathology ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; secondary

Five thyroid carcinomas showing clinically aggressive biologic behavior were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the possible presence of morphologic differences from conventional thyroid carcinomas. They were originally diagnosed as follicular carcinomas, medullary carcinoma, papillary carcinoma, and mixed papillary and medullary carcinoma. There were three males and two females. The age at the time of initial diagnosis ranged from 36 years to 67 years (mean 56 years). The size of the tumor varied from 4.5cm to 10cm (mean diameter 7cm). One patient died of brain metastasis four years after the initial therapy and the other four patients are still alive with local recurrences and/or metastases to bone, spinal cord, lung, and buttock. Histologically these lesions are categorized into two different groups: insular variant and columnar cell variant. Insular variant was characterized by well-defined nests (insulae) that are composed of small, uniform cells, frequent tumor necrosis, and hyalinization of the stroma. Columnar cell variant was characterized by tall columnar cells with marked nuclear statification. All five cases stained positively for thyroglobulin and negatively for calcitonin. With the above clinical and histopathological findings, we interpreted these lesions as a poorly differentiated carcinoma, biologically in an intermediate position between well differentiated and anaplastic carcinomas. The rapid and often fatal outcome associated with these variants of poorly differentiated carcinoma warrants aggressive treatment at the time of diagnosis.
Adenocarcinoma/*pathology/secondary ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Papillary/*pathology/secondary ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*pathology/secondary ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The goal of this study was to evaluate the sonographic findings of thyroid metastases arising from non-thyroid primaries. The study over a 5-year period comprised nine patients who had histopathologically proven metastatic disease to the thyroid. Ultrasonography was available in all cases. Ultrasound-guided needle aspiration was performed on 10 suspected nodules as determined by ultrasound. The Ultrasonographic findings were analyzed in two different ways. The first analysis included only those nodules biopsed, and the second analysis included all the nodules, biopsed and non- biopsed. The primary neoplasms were breast carcinoma (n=6), uterine leiomyosarcoma (n=1), cervical carcinoma (n=1), and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (n=1). Excluding 2 nodules, the 8 remaining metastatic nodules exhibited ill-defined hypoechoic character with heterogeneous texture. The other two nodules showed relatively circumscribed iso- or hypo-echoic character with cystic portion. From the analysis of ultrasonographic findings including all thyroid nodules irrespective of pathologic proof, 7 cases - excluding the 2 cases from the 9 cases - showed unilateral or bilateral multiple nodules suspected of metastasis. There was no evidence of microcalcification in any thyroid nodules. In conclusion, the sonographic findings of the thyroid metastatic nodules were not specific, but unilateral or bilateral multiple suspected thyroid nodules without evidence of microcalcification may be suggestive of metastatic nodules among patients with a known primary non-thyroidal tumor.
Adult ; Female ; Human ; Middle Age ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology/*secondary/*ultrasonography