Korean J Endocr Surg.  2015 Mar;15(1):20-24. 10.16956/kaes.2015.15.1.20.

Granular Cell Tumor of the Thyroid Gland: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

• Park WC
• Choi SH
• Lee YS

• KMID: 2144010
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.16956/kaes.2015.15.1.20

Abstract

Granular cell tumor (GCT) is a rare tumor of Schwann cell origin. While this tumor can occur anywhere in the body, GCT of the thyroid gland is very rare. This tumor is benign, despite showing grossly and histologically malignant features, and should be differentiated from oncocytic/Hurthle cell neoplasm and medullary carcinoma of thyroid. Immunohistochemistry can confirm the final diagnosis and differentiate from other tumors and cell types. We report on a GCT of thyroid in a 46-year-old woman with medical history of right breast cancer and review of literatures.

Keyword

Granular cell tumor; Thyroid gland

MeSH Terms

Breast Neoplasms
Carcinoma, Medullary
Diagnosis
Female
Granular Cell Tumor*
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Middle Aged
Thyroid Gland*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The ultrasound finding of the tumor shows a irregular marginated solid, hypoechoic, and heterogenous nodule in the left thyroid, with suspicious for malignancy.

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  Fig. 2 The histologic findings of the tumor. (A) The tumor had an ill-defined margin with thyroid parenchyma (H&E stain, ×40). (B) Sheets of tumor cells were separated by dense fibrous tissue (Masson-Trichrome stain ×100). (C) Tumor cells had small hyperchromatic nuclei with abundant eosinophilic and granular cytoplasm (H&E stain, ×100). (D) Tumor cells are positive staining of granular cytoplasm (PAS stain, ×400).

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  Fig. 3 The Immunohistochemical staining (A, B) and Electromicroscopic (EM) of the tumor (C). (A) The tumors cells are positive for S-100 protein (×200) and (B) for neuron-specific enolase (×200) (C). The ultrastructural features by EM showed abundant lysosomes having lamellate appearance and fragmentation in the cytoplasm (×8,000).

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