J Korean Med Sci.  2007 Jun;22(3):568-571. 10.3346/jkms.2007.22.3.568.

Primary Malignant Teratoma with a Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor Component in Thyroid Gland: A Case Report

• Kim E
• Bae TS
• Kwon Y
• Kim TH
• Chung KW
• Kim SW
• Ro J
• Lee ES

• KMID: 1778374
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2007.22.3.568

Abstract

Teratomas comprise the most common extragonadal germ cell tumors in childhood. Most teratomas involving the thyroid are benign and occur in children. However, the adult cases reported are mostly malignant and commonly arise in the thyroid. We report a case of a 31-yr-old female with a huge neck mass. Pathologic examination revealed it to be malignant teratoma composed of primitive neuroepithelial tissue with primitive neural tubes and loose myxoid to fibrous immature mesenchymal stroma. The patient underwent extensive evaluation of the thyroid gland with computed tomography (CT) scan and positron emission tomography (PET) scan, which revealed no evidence of metastatic disease. She underwent total thyroidectomy with bilateral modified radical neck dissection, intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At 22-months of follow-up, the patient has remained euthyroid and showed no evidence of recurrence. This is the first case, to our knowledge, of malignant thyroid teratoma with a exuberant primitive neuroectodermal tumor component in Korea.

Keyword

Malignant Teratoma; Thyroid Neoplasm; Thyroid Disease

MeSH Terms

Adult
Female
Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology
Humans
Neoplasm Metastasis
Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive/*complications/diagnosis/*pathology
Positron-Emission Tomography/methods
Teratoma/*complications/diagnosis/*pathology
Thyroid Diseases/diagnosis
Thyroid Gland/*pathology
Thyroidectomy
Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Computed tomography (CT) scan of malignant teratoma. A 7.0×5.5 cm mass is observed within the right anterior neck. The trachea and right sternocleidomastoid muscle are deviated to the left.

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  Fig. 2 Gross finding of malignant teratoma. The mass is mainly located in the right lobe of thyroid with extrathyroidal extension and multiple lymph node involvement.

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  Fig. 3 Microscopic findings of malignant teratoma. The tumor is mainly composed of primitive neuroepithelial cells and neural tubules (H&E stain, ×100).

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  Fig. 4 Microscopic findings. Mature cartilage is also noted within the primitive neuroepithelial tissue (H&E stain, ×100).

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