A thyroid mass that moves with tongue protrusion: An ectopic thyroid gland

Abstract

Thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC) is a developmental anomaly that usually appears in early childhood. The common presentation is midline swelling of the neck, which moves with both tongue protrusion and deglutition. Diagnosis is usually clinical and radiological. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can be used as a tool for the exclusion of malignancy in adult patients. In some cases thyroid scan is done to rule out the presence or absence of the normal thyroid gland. A complete work-up is mandatory before cyst removal given that it contains only thyroid tissue. We report the case of a 32-year-old woman with only thyroid tissue in thyroglossal duct cyst.

Keywords

• Thyroglossal duct cyst
• thyroid tissue
• ultrasonography
• thyroid scan