Endocrinol Metab.  2013 Jun;28(2):144-148. 10.3803/EnM.2013.28.2.144.

Benign Teratoma of the Thyroid Gland

• Oak CY
• Kim HK
• Yoon TM
• Lim SC
• Park HB
• Park HC
• Han MG
• Kang HC

• KMID: 1973814
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2013.28.2.144

Abstract

Although pathology reports of thyroid tissue in ovarian teratomas are abundant, benign teratomas of the thyroid are extremely rare in adolescents and adults. Therefore, their clinical characteristics are still not well characterized. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman with a growing mass in her neck. Left lobectomy of the thyroid revealed it to be a benign thyroid teratoma composed of tissues from all three germ layers. Preoperative evaluations included thyroid ultrasonography (US), ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and computed tomography (CT) of the neck. A 4.7-cm, well defined, predominantly hypoechoic mass intermingled with hyperechoic internal lesions, was observed in the inferior portion of the left thyroid lobe with substernal extension on US. The posterior extent of the nodule was not visualized due to deep attenuation of the echo. US-guided FNAC failed to reveal any thyroid follicular cells, but suggested a benign cystic tumor. Neck CT hinted at the diagnosis of teratoma because the mass contained large amounts of fat, and the margin was well defined. Extrathyroidal extension and cervical lymphadenopathy were not seen. She underwent left thyroid lobectomy, and histologic examination confirmed benign thyroid teratoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of benign thyroid teratoma in Korea.

Keyword

Teratoma; Thyroid; Ultrasonography

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Female
Germ Layers
Humans
Korea
Lymphatic Diseases
Neck
Teratoma
Thyroid Gland

Figure

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  Fig. 1 (A) Transverse and (B) longitudinal ultrasonographic scans show the well defined, heterogeneously hypoechoic nodule, intermingled with hyperechoic foci in the lower portion of left thyroid lobe (arrowheads).

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  Fig. 2 Computed tomography scans of the neck show (A) a heterogeneous enhancing mass (arrowhead) in the left lobe of the thyroid, and (B) a large cystic fat-containing mass extending into the mediastinum (arrowhead).

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  Fig. 3 Cut surface of the teratoma demonstrates a well encapsulated, mixed solid and cystic mass, which has rich fat contents. Compressed thyroid gland is seen at the periphery in continuity with the teratoma.

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  Fig. 4 Histologic findings of the benign thyroid teratoma. (A) Pilosebaceous structures. (B) Ciliated respiratory epithelium. (C) Intestinal columnar epithelium with goblet cells. (D) Muscular structures (H&E stain, ×100).

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