Pancreatic ectopic thyroid tissue: A case report and analysis of literature

Abstract

Ectopic thyroid is a rare malformation induced by a migration defect in the developing gland during embryogenesis. In 90% of cases, the ectopic thyroid is located in the lingual region, whereas it is extremely rare in the abdominal cavity, particularly in the pancreas. A 50-year-old female patient presented to the Taizhou First People's Hospital with a complaint of recurrent mid-lower abdominal pain and diarrhea for approximately a month. The abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a space-occupying lesion with abundant blood supply in the head of the pancreas during the consultation. This led to the suspicion of a neuroendocrine tumor. The doctor considered that this lesion in the head of the pancreas could be responsible for the patient's incontinence. A laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed after relevant tests were undertaken and contraindications were ruled out. The patient was diagnosed with ectopic thyroid of the pancreas through postoperative pathology. Ectopic thyroid can be considered in middle-aged and elderly women who present with a mass with abundant blood supply and an unknown diagnosis. Subsequent treatments should be decided after fine-needle aspiration cytology.

Keywords: abdominal computed tomography; ectopic thyroid; pancreas.

Figure 1

CT scan of the abdomen of the patient. The arrow points to a nodular slightly high-density shadow on the head of the pancreas, with a maximum transverse diameter of about 19 mm and a clear boundary, and a small saccular low-density shadow and a punctate calcification shadow.

Figure 2

CT scan of the abdomen of the patient. The arrow points to a nodular slightly high-density shadow on the head of the pancreas, with a maximum transverse diameter of about 19 mm and a clear boundary, and a small saccular low-density shadow and a punctate calcification shadow.

Figure 3

Transverse axial scan of the arterial phase. The lesions showed uneven enhancement, the highest CT value reached 192 HU, and the low-density areas were not enhanced.

Figure 4

Coronal scan of the arterial phase. The lesions showed uneven enhancement, the highest CT value reached 192 HU, and the low-density areas were not enhanced.

Figure 5

Transverse axial scan of the portal venous phase. The lesion was still high-density with CT value of 174 HU.

Figure 6

Pathological findings: HE staining, 40×; under the microscope, thyroid tissues were observed within the pancreatic tissues, approximately 2.5 cm × 2.0 cm × 1.6 cm in size, with follicles of varying sizes and mild cell morphology.