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Endocrine Abstracts (2017) 49 EP1404 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.49.EP1404

1Edirne Sultan 1. Murat State Hospital, Department of Chest Diseases, Edirne, Turkey; 2Trakya University, Medical Faculty, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Edirne, Turkey; 3Trakya University, Medical Faculty, Department of Pathology, Edirne, Turkey; 4Trakya University, Medical Faculty, Department of Chest Diseases, Edirne, Turkey.


Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal human malignancies. The median survival time following diagnosis is typically six months or less. Rapidly growing tumors may cause respiratory failure by compressing trachea. A 71-year-old woman presented with 1-month history of dyspnea, cyanosis and rapidly enlarging neck mass for the past 2 weeks. She had been suffering from multinodular goiter disease. Physical examination revealed a large, fixed and mildy tender thyroid mass and cyanotic extremities. Breath sounds were bilaterally decreased on auscultation. Arterial blood gas analysis showed hypoxia. Chest X-ray imaging revealed bilateral multiple nodular opacities, which were found to be bilateral metastatik nodular lesions involving all segments on thoracic tomography. In addition, a 35×20 mm sized lingular metastatic lesion invading 5th rib was present in the left lung. Thyroid gland was slightly larger than normal with heterogeneous parenchyma and there were multiple, heterogeneous and hypoechoic nodules, the biggest one was being 30×32×30 mm in size in the right thyroid lobe. In addition, 2 cm sized multiple necrotic lymph nodes were visible. Laryngoscopic examination demonstrated externally compressed trachea. Tru-cut biopsy of left thyroid lobe detected anaplastic carcinoma with rhabdoid giant cell formation. Despite oxygen supplementation, hypoxic state worsened and the patient was referred to intensive care unit following emergent tracheostomy. In conclusion, although it is rare, anaplastic carcinoma should be considered in the patients presenting with respiratory failure. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma should should be considered in patients presenting with rapidly growing neck mass and respiratory failure.

Volume 49

19th European Congress of Endocrinology

Lisbon, Portugal
20 May 2017 - 23 May 2017

European Society of Endocrinology 

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