A Case of Papillary Thyroid Cancer Recurring as an Esophageal Submucosal Tumor

Abstract

A 75-year-old woman who underwent a total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid cancer 7 years previously presented with a palpable neck mass. Computed tomography (CT) showed two metastatic masses on the thyroid bed and another mass that looked benign originating from the esophageal wall. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) showed a hypoechoic mass in the esophageal wall that looked similar to a gastrointestinal stromal tumor. The mass on the esophagus had intense fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), which suggested the possibility of malignancy. Subsequently, after surgery, the mass in the esophagus was confirmed as a metastasis from the thyroid papillary carcinoma. Here we report this unusual case of papillary thyroid cancer that recurred as an esophageal submucosal tumor.

Submucosal Esophageal Metastasis in a Patient with Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: a Case Report

“…The recurrence intervals were variable from 3 years after the first treatment to 10 years after the first treatment. The most common symptom was dysphasia and, in some cases, hematemesis (13)(14)(15)(16).…”

Combined EUS and CT for evaluating gastrointestinal submucosal tumors before endoscopic resection

“…Is endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) an independent competent in such a task [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]? Moreover, some SMTs can only be surgically excised.…”