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Case Reports
. 2012 May 3:10:73.
doi: 10.1186/1477-7819-10-73.

Primary thyroid angiosarcoma: an unusual localization

Pasquale Petronella  1 , Marco Scorzelli, Rossella Luise, Giuseppe Iannaci, Patrizia Sapere, Marco Ferretti, Rosaria Maria Anna Costanzo, Fulvio Freda, Silvestro Canonico, Raffaele Rossiello
Affiliations
Case Reports

Primary thyroid angiosarcoma: an unusual localization

Pasquale Petronella et al. World J Surg Oncol. .

Abstract

The finding of thyroid nodules is a very common occurrence in routine clinical practice. Approximately 5% to 7% of the entire population have thyroid nodules. Vascular lesions are one of the most controversial issues in thyroid pathology. These include benign lesions such as hemangiomas and, rarely, malignant tumors such as angiosarcomas or undifferentiated angiosarcomatoid carcinomas. In particular, angiosarcoma of the thyroid gland is a rare, highly aggressive malignant vascular tumor and in Italy the greatest geographical incidence of this lesion is witnessed near the Alps. Here, a case of thyroid angiosarcoma in a 71-year-old man with a history of goiter for about 20 years is described. The unusual localization of this lesion, the difficulties in reaching a definitive diagnosis for this particular histological type of primary tumor and a history of long-standing multinodular goiter in thyroid of an older man from outside the Alpine region prompted us to report this case of thyroid angiosarcoma mainly to discuss surgical, histopathological and immunohistochemical features.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A macroscopic photograph of thyroid angiosarcoma showing a well capsulated nodule that appeared cystic and hemorrhagic on the cut surface.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Hematoxylin and eosin staining (10 ×) shows a peripheral rim of normal thyroid tissue and a central area of necrosis and hemorrhages.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Hematoxylin and eosin staining (40 ×) showing numerous vascular channels lined by neoplastic endothelium.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Vascular neoplastic channels with strong, diffuse CD 34 immunoreactivity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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