BMC Urology (Aug 2006)

Ectopic thyroid in an adrenal mass: a case report

  • Ueno Munehisa,
  • Tsukamoto Takuji,
  • Kuroda Isao,
  • Hagiuda Jun,
  • Yokota Chizuko,
  • Hirose Takanori,
  • Deguchi Nobuhiro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2490-6-18
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 1
p. 18

Abstract

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Abstract Background It is difficult to explain ectopic thyroid beneath the diaphragm because during the development the thyroid descends from the tongue to the anterior of the trachea. A few cases of ectopic lesions have been reported in the literature for abdominal organs including the adrenal glands, but the mechanism by which the thyroid components migrate into the abdomen has been poorly understood. Case presentation A 54-year-old woman was diagnosed as having an adrenal mass. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was carried out. Microscopically, the mass was composed of normal adrenal and ectopic thyroid tissues. Conclusion We herein describe the fourth case reported of ectopic thyroid in the adrenal gland.