Ectopic thyroid gland

Case contributed by Ammar Haouimi
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Painless swelling of the upper anterior neck at the hyoid bone level.

Patient Data

Age: 5 years
Gender: Female
ultrasound
transverse section at the
level of the thyroid gland
transverse section at the
level of the hyoid bone
longitudinal section
with colour doppler
video
Download
Info

The transverse section at the presumed level of the thyroid gland did not show any thyroid tissue. At the level of the hyoid bone, there is a left paramedian heterogeneous echogenic ovoid solid soft tissue, highly vascularised on colour Doppler suggestive of an ectopic thyroid gland.

Case Discussion

An ectopic thyroid gland can occur along its path of embryonic migration in the midline neck between the foramen caecum of the tongue and its typical location at the level of the thyroid cartilage.

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