Cutaneous Metastasis from Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroid

Abstract

A 59-year-old woman with a history of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland developed three reddish nodules on the scalp. A skin biopsy showed a dermal tumor composed of sheets of clearly differentiated thyroid vesicles. Cutaneous metastases of thyroid carcinoma are very rare and this case is the first case confirmed by immunoperoxidase studies using monoclonal antithyroglobulin antibody. Positive reactions were obtained in colloid and at apices of thyrocytes. Monoclonal antibodies to human thyroglobulin may offer a unique opportunity to confirm the tissue origin of cutaneous metastasis.

Cutaneous Metastases from Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma: Histology, Immunohistology, and Electron Microscopy

“…A high vascularization of the metastatic tissue was also observed in our case 2 by means of ultrasound investigation. Two cases of cutaneous métastasés in a papillary thyroid carci noma, both showing positive reaction with antithyro globulin antibody, and 1 case of cutaneous métastasés from a mixed type (papillary/follicular) of thyroid carci noma have been published [6][7][8]. Cutaneous métastases from medullary carcinoma of the thyroid have been reported by Ordonez and Samaan [9], The medullary thy roid carcinoma has been confirmed by immimohistology using antibodies against calcitonin.…”