Metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma mistaken for cribriform adenocarcinoma of the tongue and minor salivary glands: a case report

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and cribriform adenocarcinoma of the tongue and minor salivary glands (CATMSG) are head and neck tumors that share many histologic features and can be difficult to differentiate based on morphology alone. We report a case of a tongue base mass initially diagnosed as CATMSG, which after further ancillary studies, was found to be metastatic PTC. Due to the significant differences in patient management, we review the literature and recommend routine immunohistochemical testing with thyroid transcription factor-1 and thyroglobulin. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2023;135:e120-e122)