Unusual metastatic spread of follicular thyroid carcinoma: report of a case

• Published in: Surgery today (Tokyo, Japan) Japan), 2005-04, Vol.35 (4), p.300-303
• Main Authors: Kelessis, Nickos G, Prassas, Evangelos P, Evangelos, Prassas P, Dascalopoulou, Dimitra V, Dimitra, Dascalopoulou V, Apostolikas, Nikiforos A, Nikiforos, Apostolikas A, Tavernaraki, Angeliki P, Angeliki, Tavernaraki P, Vassilopoulos P, Pericles P, Pericles, Vassilopoulos P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma, Follicular - secondary; Adenocarcinoma, Follicular - therapy; Aged; Combined Modality Therapy; Fatal Outcome; Female; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - secondary; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Skull Neoplasms - secondary; Skull Neoplasms - therapy; Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology; Thyroid Neoplasms - therapy; Thyroidectomy
• ISSN: 0941-1291; 1436-2813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00595-004-2922-2

Concurrent skull and liver metastases from follicular thyroid carcinoma is a very rare event. We herein present the case of a 72-year-old woman who initially presented with a swelling in the right supraorbital region that proved to be metastasis from a well-differentiated follicular thyroid carcinoma of clear-cell type. The metastatic workup disclosed a huge liver metastasis and an additional metastasis in the left iliac fossa. The treatment of this patient included a total thyroidectomy, an excision of the skull lesion, and the administration of radioiodine therapy, as well as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression therapy. However, the course of her disease was relentless. Although well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma tends to show an excellent course, the presence of metastatic disease leads to a very dismal prognosis.