Korean J Oral Maxillofac Radiol.  2002 Sep;32(3):175-179.

Metastatic thyroid follicular carcinoma of masticator space

• Gang TI
• Heo MS
• An CH
• Choi M
• Lee SS
• Choi SC
• Park TW

Abstract

Follicular carcinomas are the second most common form of thyroid cancer, accounting for 10 to 20% of all thyroid cancers. Follicular carcinomas have a propensity to metastasize via the bloodstream, spreading to bone, lungs, liver, and elsewhere. We described the case of a 48-year-old woman who presented with swelling of the left preauricular area, which was a consequence of a metastatic follicular carcinoma of the masticator space. Plain films showed illdefined erosive bony changes from the left condylar head to the mandibular notch. Contrast-enhanced CT images showed a well circumscribed round mass with well enhancement within left masticator space. On MR images, the mass was heterogenously hyperintense to the muscle on T2-weighted images and isointense or hyperintense to the muscle on T1-weighted images, and showed good enhancement on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. Upon microscopic examination, the metastatic mass was found to be composed of fairly uniform cells forming small follicles containing colloid, showing capsular and vascular invasion.

Keyword

neoplasm metastasis; masticator space; follicular carcinoma

MeSH Terms

Colloids
Female
Head
Humans
Liver
Lung
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Metastasis
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Colloids