Ultrasonography Findings of Thyroid Metastasis in a Patient with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case Report

Abstract

Although the thyroid gland is one of the most vascular organs of the body, metastatic disease in the thyroid is encountered infrequently. However, at autopsy, the incidence rate of thyroid metastasis ranges from 1.25% to 24%. The primary sites are the kidney, lung, breast, and gastrointestinal tract. We report a rare case of a hepatocellular carcinoma metastatic to the thyroid gland. The patient had multiple palpable masses in the anterior and left lateral neck along the internal jugular chain on physical examination 9 months after the initial diagnosis of liver tumor. These masses were confirmed as metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma by ultrasonography-guided 16-G core needle biopsy. We discuss the sonographic findings of thyroid metastasis and their use as an additional aid for differentiating between unknown primary tumor and thyroid metastasis.

Keywords

• metastasis
• ultrasound
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• thyroid