Endocrinol Metab.  2013 Mar;28(1):61-64. 10.3803/EnM.2013.28.1.61.

Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Following Radioactive Iodine Therapy for Graves' Disease

• Kim SH
• Kim HY
• Jung KY
• Choi DS
• Kim SG

• KMID: 1805948
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2013.28.1.61

Abstract

Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy has been used as a treatment option for Graves' disease, and it has been widely accepted to be safe. On the other hand, some evidence suggests that RAI therapy is possibly associated with a small increased risk of thyroid cancer. Herein, we report a rare case of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) associated with Graves' disease, following RAI treatment. A 42-year-old woman had been diagnosed with Graves' disease and although she was treated with an antithyroid drug, she remained in a hyperthyroid state, which led to two RAI treatments. More than 10 years later, the patient revisited our clinic due to hoarseness, dysphagia, and dyspnea, which had lasted for 2 months. Neck computed tomography suggested thyroid carcinoma and a lymph node biopsy showed metastatic papillary carcinoma. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy and was finally diagnosed as having an ATC. It is not clear if the occurrence of ATC reported here was influenced by the RAI therapy or alternatively, it may only represent the delayed recognition of a rare change in the natural history of Graves' disease. Nevertheless, this report is worthwhile since it presents a very rare case of ATC that occurred eleven years after the RAI therapy for Graves' disease.

Keyword

Thyroid cancer, anaplastic; Graves disease; Radioactive iodine therapy

MeSH Terms

Biopsy
Carcinoma, Papillary
Deglutition Disorders
Dyspnea
Female
Graves Disease
Hand
Hoarseness
Humans
Iodine
Lymph Nodes
Natural History
Neck
Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroidectomy
Iodine
Thyroid Neoplasms

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Computed tomography (CT) findings of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Neck CT shows an exophytic thyroidal mass with extracapsular invasion, tracheal deviation, and narrowing.

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  Fig. 2 The histological findings. (A) The histologic section of lymph node shows clear nuclei and formation of papillary structure (H&E stain, ×200). (B) The surgical specimen shows atypical spindle cells with irregular nuclei; a feature of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (H&E stain, ×200).

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