Mehmood R K, Ghareeb E.
Thyroid papillary carcinoma arising in ectopic thyroid tissue within a branchial cyst.
Pak J Surg Jan ;19(1):38-40.

We are reporting a case of primary thyroid papillary carcinoma arising within ectopic thyroid tissue in a branchial cyst, with a positive lymph node metastasis. This is the second case of its kind, the first one being described by Koshi Matsumoto, Yashimasa Watanabe and Goro Asano1. A 31 years old gentleman presented with right side neck swelling approx. 4 x 3 cms in size, underneath the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Ultrasound neck confirmed it as a branchial cyst. Excisional biopsy showed that the branchial cyst contained thyroid tissue effaced by a papillary carcinoma. Subsequently total thyroidectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed normal thyroid tissue, but an adjacent lymph node had evidence of papillary carcinoma, the appearances represent metastatic papillary carcinoma in a lymph node from the primary cancer arising in the branchial cyst`s ectopic thyroid tissue.

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