Papillary carcinoma in a thyroglossal duct cyst, a case report: Which management?

Cysts of the thyroglossal duct are common but malignant degeneration is rare, occurring only in 1% of the cases. The most frequent histological type is papillary carcinoma. The clinical presentation of these cancers is generally nonspecific, diagnosis being established postoperatively using the Sistrunk method. Debate remains open concerning appropriate management strategies and post-therapeutic follow-up for this type of neoplasia. We report the case of a 45-year-old patient who underwent surgery for an anterior neck mass that had developed over three years. Histology favored multifocal papillary carcinoma in a thyroglossal duct remant. Total thyroidectomy was performed. The postoperative protocol, established empirically due to the absence of consensus, included radioactive iodine and hormone suppression even though the thyroid was intact. After one year of follow-up, outcome has remained favorable. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.