Korean J Endocr Surg.  2002 Jun;2(1):42-46. 10.16956/kjes.2002.2.1.42.

Thyroid MALT Lymphoma Associated with Thyroid Papillary Cancer

• Choi YH
• Oh SS
• Lee KM
• Joo MJ

• KMID: 2376187
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.16956/kjes.2002.2.1.42

Abstract

There are thyroid lymphoma and thyroid papillary cancer in thyroid disease which can happen being associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Thyroid lymphoma is a rare disease consisting of less than 1% of lymphoma and of 5% of thyroid cancer. It occurs with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in 75%, and the cause is the immune reaction in which autoantibodies originated from thyroid are exposed B-cell continually. Also, the incidence of thyroid cancer, especially thyroid papillary cancer, increases in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The reason is that the genetic change-RET/PTC mutation- of Hashimoto's thyroiditis is specific to thyroid papillary cancer than to other cancer. Patients usually complain neck nodule or sudden neck mass growing, hoarseness and respiratory difficulty. FNA, USG, Neck CT, MRI, and RI scan can be used for diagnosis. We can choose radiation, operation, and chemotherapy in single form or combined form according to the stage and the location of disease. If a patient who has neck mass, the pathologic finding of it is similar to that of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and it is resistant to thyroid hormonal therapy, we should consider that it can be thyroid lymphoma or thyroid papillary cancer associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. We report a case of thyroid MALT lymphoma combined with occult papillary cancer which was resistant to thyroid hormonal therapy and which was successfully treated by operation and radiation therapy.

Keyword

Thyroid MALT lymphoma; Thyroid paillary cancer; Hashimoto's thyroiditis