Ectopic thyroid tissue accompanied by distinct blood supply and lymphoid tissue within the carotid sheath - a case report.
Min Chen, Liu Yang, Wen Li et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 42-year-old man had an asymptomatic right-sided neck mass detected during a routine examination. Ultrasound showed a normally located thyroid and a well-defined 1.3 cm × 0.9 cm × 0.5 cm mass with echotexture similar to thyroid tissue. A short venous trunk drained directly into the internal jugular vein. The mass was excised, and histopathology confirmed ectopic thyroid tissue with prominent vasculature and adjacent lymphoid tissue. Recovery was uneventful; over 5 years of follow-up, there was no recurrence or thyroid dysfunction.
What made this case unusual
The ectopic thyroid tissue was located within the carotid sheath despite a normally positioned thyroid, and was accompanied by prominent vasculature and adjacent lymphoid tissue. Its short venous drainage into the internal jugular vein was visible on ultrasound.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
A neck mass with thyroid-like echotexture may represent ectopic thyroid tissue even when the thyroid is normally located; a distinct vascular supply can provide an imaging clue.