Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2011 Aug;54(8):557-559. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2011.54.8.557.

A Case of Thyroid Hemiagenesis with Concurrent Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

• Nam YM
• Park JS
• Na KJ
• Ahn D

• KMID: 2074185
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2011.54.8.557

Abstract

Thyroid hemiagenesis is an extremely rare congenital abnormality of the thyroid gland, characterized by the absence of one lobe. The true prevalence of this congenital abnormality is uncertain, because the absence of one thyroid lobe usually does not cause clinical symptoms by itself. However, several studies showed that the prevalence of this anomaly was estimated as 0.05-0.2%. Thyroid hemiagenesis is more frequently found in women, and in the left lobe. Commonly found in the remaining lobe are benign adenoma, a multinodular goiter, hyperthyroidism, chronic thyroiditis, and rarely carcinoma. We report a case of 53-year-old woman with an incidentally discovered thyroid nodule. Thyroid ultrasonography and computed tomography scan was performed in order to evaluate the nodule, and they showed the absence of the right thyroid lobe. The nodule was suspected as papillary thyroid cancer and subsequent surgery to remove it confirmed the absence of the right lobe.

Keyword

Thyroid gland; Anomaly; Papillary thyroid carcinoma

MeSH Terms

Adenoma
Carcinoma
Congenital Abnormalities
Female
Goiter
Humans
Hyperthyroidism
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroid Nodule
Thyroiditis
Carcinoma
Thyroid Neoplasms