Percutaneous cryoablation of follicular thyroid carcinoma metastasis to the pancreas

Abstract

The following is a technical report of the successful cryoablation of pancreatic metastasis originating from follicular thyroid carcinoma. The patient was a 72-year-old female who underwent total thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation for follicular carcinoma. One year after surgery, a positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) examination, performed to demonstrate the source of the increased thyroglobulin, showed a fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) avid mass located in the body of the pancreas. A percutaneous tru-cut biopsy was performed that revealed follicular thyroid carcinoma metastasis to the pancreas. Because of the patient’s comorbidities, the patient underwent percutaneous cryoablation and made a successful recovery over the following 13 months. At the most recent follow-up, the thyroglobulin level was undetectable, and a PET-CT scan showed no FDG avid mass in the pancreas. To our knowledge, follicular carcinoma metastasis of the pancreas is extremely rare, and this is the first report of successful cryoablation of a metastatic tumor in the pancreas.

Keywords

• ablation
• cryoablation
• metastasis
• pancreas
• thyroid