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Endocrine Abstracts (2017) 49 EP1386 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.49.EP1386

ECE2017 Eposter Presentations: Thyroid Thyroid (non-cancer) (260 abstracts)

Solitary metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer in the sellar region and cavernous sinus

Lila Brakni , Lounes Haffaf , Yamina Aribi , F Hameg & Samia Ouldkablia


Army Hospital, Algiers, Algeria.


The commonest site of metastasis from papillary carcinoma is regional lymph nodes. Distant metastases are rare, most presenting synchronously. Brain metastases in papillary carcinoma are rare, reported with a frequency of 0.1–5% and cavernous sinus metastasis is extremely rare.

Case report: A 62-year-old woman presented with a history of non-secretory pituitary macroadenoma present with symptoms of hypopituitarism. MRI of the brain revealed a 4.5×3.1×3 cm, extension into the cavernous sinuse. The tumorwas not rescable, she Underwent a simple biopsy in view of the haemorrhagic nature of the tumor. Histopathology revealed a tumor with diffuse papillary architecture. On immunohistochemistry: positive for TTF1, PAX8, thyroglobulin, TPO;Ki67 (10–15%) and negative for GH, LH, FSH, ACTH, TSH. A diagnosis of metastatic papillary carcinoma was made. Thyroid ultrasound revealed two hypoechoic nodules. After thyroidectomy the histopathology was papillary micro- carcinoma thyroid-follicular variant of 05 mm. She received radioiodine therapy.

Discussion: The incidence of distant metastases from papillary carcinomas is reported to be 6–23%, the majority occurring within 5 years of the initial diagnosis. There have been case reports of papillary carcinoma with metastasis at unusual sites like the breast and cavernous sinus. All these cases were associated with a missed diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma, like our case, should be considered exceptional. There have been five reports of papillary carcinoma with metastasis to the skull base.

Conclusion: There is no consensus for the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma with cavernous sinus metastasis. Thus, that solitary distant metastasis from thyroidcarcinoma though rare, is a possibility, a difficult diagnosis to be made on radiology.

Volume 49

19th European Congress of Endocrinology

Lisbon, Portugal
20 May 2017 - 23 May 2017

European Society of Endocrinology 

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