[Metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the thyroid gland: report of seven cases and review of the literature]

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to retrospectively report clinical manifestations, type of treatment, survival rate of thyroid metastases from renal carcinoma.

Patients and methods: Seven patients were retrospectively collected from files of different Burgundy's hospitals. All renal and thyroid gland specimens were controlled by the anatomopathologist.

Results: Tumors occurred in four women and three men (mean age: 66 years). Symptoms were generally a solitary mass. The metastatic tumor to the thyroid gland was the initial presentation of renal carcinoma in one case. In the other cases, patients had documented previous evidence of renal carcinoma as remotely 8.1 years before the thyroid metastases. Thyroglobulin immunohistochemistry was always negative in the foci of metastatic renal carcinoma. All patients had surgical resection of there metastasis. The majority of patients died with disseminated malignancies (mean: 38.1 months after there thyroid resection). Three patients are still alive, one after a complementary pancreatic resection for a secondary pancreatic metastasis and one other with cervical and mediastinal lymph node recurrence.

Conclusions: Surgical treatment of the metastatic disease is suggested, as this may prolonged patient survival.