Rhabdoid tumor of the thyroid gland: a variant of anaplastic carcinoma, case report with review of the literature

Abstract

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) with rhabdoid features is extremely rare and only few cases have been reported in literature. We report a case of ATC with rhabdoid features in a 66-year-old female, who presented with a rapidly enlarging neck mass. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a multiheteronodular goiter with presence of a suspected nodule in the left lobe. The parient underwent total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection. Pathology report showed rhabdoid phenotype of thyroid anaplastic carcinoma. This entity is highly aggressive and associated with a poor prognosis. The patient died one month after the operation before receiving adjuvant therapy.

Keywords

• thyroidectomy
• anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
• rhabdoid cells
• immunohistochemistry