A case of synchronous thyroid metastasis from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Thyroid metastasis of esophageal cancer is rare. We report herein a case of synchronous thyroid metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. A 54-year-old man with lower thoracic esophageal cancer and left thyroid tumor was admitted to our hospital. We diagnosed synchronous double cancer comprising esophagus squamous cell carcinoma and thyroidal papillary cancer. Simultaneous excision of both tumors after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy to the esophageal cancer was planned. Intraoperatively, thyroid tumor and cervical lymph nodes were pathologically diagnosed as metastases of esophageal cancer. We then converted the treatment strategy to perform total thyroidectomy, merging excision of the larynx and trachea with construction of an eternal trachea aperture without lymphadenectomy and esophagectomy, followed by chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy. The patient has remained alive as of 18 months after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. We recommend that once synchronous thyroid metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma has been confirmed, multimodal treatment should be taken into consideration.