Columnar cell thyroid carcinoma - diagnostic dilemmas and pitfalls

Ivana Žagar; Barbara Vidergar-Kralj; Andreja A. Schwarzbartl-Pevec; Franc Pompe

Vol 6, No 2 (2003)

Brief communication

Published online: 2003-10-10

Submitted: 2012-01-23

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Columnar cell thyroid carcinoma - diagnostic dilemmas and pitfalls

Ivana Žagar, Barbara Vidergar-Kralj, Andreja A. Schwarzbartl-Pevec, Franc Pompe

Nucl. Med. Rev 2003;6(2):155-158.

Vol 6, No 2 (2003)

Short communications

Published online: 2003-10-10

Submitted: 2012-01-23

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Columnar cell carcinoma is a rare variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma associated with aggressive clinical behaviour.
A CASE REPORT: of a 34-year-old male patient, who presented withe rapidly growing mass in the neck, extending to the anterior and middle mediastinum, tightly closing the upper thoracic apperture and causing tracheal and oesophageal deviation, with minimal compression and stenosis. A diagnosis of columnar cell carcinoma, arising from the ectopic thyroid tissue just adjacent to the left thyroid lobe was based on histological and intraoperative findings. Near total thyroidectomy and lymph-node dissection were followed by external beam radiotherapy of the neck and mediastinum, chemotherapy and radioiodine ablation of the remaining functional thyroid tissue. Pre-and post-operative radionuclide imaging (99mTc(V)-DMSA, 99mTc-MIBI, 123-I-mIBG and Octreoscan^r) findings are discussed, with a special emphasis given to the dilemmas in histological characterisation of the tumor, the problems in therapeutic approach and the dilemmas and pitfalls in the interpretation of radionuclide findings in this patient, especially the ones performed post radiotherapy of the neck and mediastinum.