Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Teratomas are complex malformative tumors defined by the presence of tissues derived from the 3 embryonic layers. They can be mature or immature, depending on their degree of differentiation. They are most often found in the sacrococcygeal region and the gonads. Cervical location is exceptional (4%).

Observation: We report the case of a 45-year-old patient who presented with a right cervical swelling that progressively increased in volume. The patient consulted the ORL department and a cervical ultrasound scan was performed, which revealed an ETIRADS 4 nodule, a cytopuncture was done and came back in favor of signs of malignancy, the patient underwent a total thyroidectomy with left recurrent curage, the anathamopathological study showed a papillary tumor of the thyroid classified as pT3a with the presence of 5 reactionary lymph nodes associated with a cystic formation evoking a mature terartoma.

Discussion and conclusion: Cervical teratomas are rare lesions usually diagnosed at birth. Their occurrence in adults is extremely rare and, less than 40 cases have been reported in the literature. The association of cervical teratoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma has not been described, Is it a genetic link or a simple coincidence or do we need more studies to confirm a link between the two associations?

Reference: Mohd Rashid Lukman. Malignant Cervical Teratoma in an Adult Presenting with Impending Airway Obstruction, ASIAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY VOL 28. NO 3. JULY 2005.