Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Thyroid ectopy is uncommon pathology. The lingual area is the most frequent localization. The medaistinal localization is rare. We report in this article two cases illustrating this location.

1st clinical case

66-year-old woman operated on for benign breast cysts consulted for progressive chest pain. The clinical examination was without abnormalities. The standard biological assessment was normal. Cervicothoracic CT scan showed two heterogeneous enhancement tissue mediastinal masses, a heterogeneous thyroid gland of normal volume. The surgical procedure consisted of a thymectomy and the anatomopathological study concluded to an intra-thymic ectopic thyroid adenoma.

2nd clinical case

57-year-old woman consulted for a chronic cough. No anomaly objectified at the clinical examination. The biological assessment including thyroid was normal. The CT scan showed formation of the cervicothoracic orifice whose density evoked a thyroid or parathyroid nodule. The mass was excised and the antomopathological study found a thyroid parenchyma with no signs of malignancy.

Comments and conclusion

Transcription factor mutations are implicated in thyroid ectopy. Several locations have been described. The mediastinal localization is exceptional. The presence of a eutopic thyroid is frequently associated with the mediastinal location of ectopia. Clinical-biological euthyroidism is as well. Therapeutically, surgery may be indicated in dyspnoea or other disabling symptoms.