Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Metastases to the thyroid gland: review of incidence, clinical presentation, diagnostic problems and surgery, our experience

  • Short Review
  • Published:
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Metastases to the thyroid gland are uncommon and they represent 1–3% of all thyroid malignancy. The aim of this study is to analyze the diagnostic problems and the role of surgery in metastatic lesions to the thyroid.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed all patients who had undergone thyroidectomy at our Center. Out of more than 5000 thyroidectomies performed, only 9 cases had metastases to the thyroid gland.

Results

The most common primary tumor arises from kidney and lung. Non-thyroid malignancies diagnosis was obtained with US, FNAC and PET–CT. Surgery was performed in all our series (except for one case) and the expectancy of life after surgery is related to the primary tumor and comorbidities of patients.

Conclusion

The thyroid gland can be a rare site of metastases for many tumors, especially in an abnormal thyroid gland. Surgery is associated with an improved survival and the extension of surgery depends on the extension of the neoplastic lesion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shimaoka K, Sokal JE, Pickren JW (1962) Metastatic neoplasms in the thyroid gland. Pathol Clin Find Cancer 15(3):557–565

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. McCabe DP, Farrar WB, Petkov TM, Finkelmeier W, O'Dwyer P, James A (1985) Clinical and pathologic correlations in disease metastatic to the thyroid gland. Am J Surg 150(4):519–523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zhang L, Liu Y, Li X, Gao W, Zheng C (2017) Metastases to the thyroid gland: a report of 32 cases in PUMCH. Medicine 96(36):e7927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Willis RA (1931) Metastatic tumours in the thyroid gland. Am J Pathol 7(3):187

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Boston OV (1940) The function of the vertebral veins and their role in the spread of metastasis. Ann Surg 122:138–140

    Google Scholar 

  6. Zivaljevic V, Jovanovic M, Perunicic V, Paunovic I (2018) Surgical treatment of metastasis to the thyroid gland: a single centre experience and literature review. Hippokratia 22(3):137

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Chung AY, Tran TB, Brumund KT, Weisman RA, Bouvet M (2012) Metastases to the thyroid: a review of the literature from the last decade. Thyroid 22(3):258–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Heffess CS, Wenig BM, Thompson LD (2002) Metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the thyroid gland: a clinicopathologic study of 36 cases. Cancer Interdiscip Int J Am Cancer Soc 95(9):1869–1878

    Google Scholar 

  9. Wood K, Vini L, Harmer C (2004) Metastases to the thyroid gland: the Royal Marsden experience. Eur J Surg Oncol (EJSO) 30(6):583–588

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Russell JO, Yan K, Burkey B, Scharpf J (2016) Non thyroid metastasis to the thyroid gland: case series and review with observations by primary pathology. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 155(6):961–968

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Vatsyayan A, Mandlik D, Patel P, Sharma N, Joshipura A, Patel M, Sanghvi KJ (2019) Metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck to the thyroid: a single institution’s experience with a review of relevant publications. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 57(7):609–615

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Nixon IJ, Coca-Pelaz A, Kaleva AI, Triantafyllou A, Angelos P, Owen RP, Ferlito A (2017) Metastasis to the thyroid gland: a critical review. Ann Surg Oncol 24(6):1533–1539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Papi G, Fadda G, Corsello SM, Corrado S, Rossi ED, Radighieri E, Pontecorvi A (2007) Metastases to the thyroid gland: prevalence, clinicopathological aspects and prognosis: a 10-year experience. Clin Endocrinol 66(4):565–571

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kim HK, Kim SS, Oak CY, Kim SJ, Yoon JH, Kang HC (2014) Diffuse metastasis to the thyroid: unique ultrasonographic finding and clinical correlation. J Korean Med Sci 29(6):818–824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Saito Y, Sugitani I, Toda K, Yamada K, Fujimoto Y (2014) Metastatic thyroid tumors: ultrasonographic features, prognostic factors, and outcomes in 29 cases. Surg Today 44(1):55–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kim TY, Kim WB, Gong G, Hong SJ, Shong YK (2005) Metastasis to the thyroid diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Clin Endocrinol 62(2):236–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Pastorello RG, Saieg MA (2019) Metastases to the thyroid: potential cytologic mimics of primary thyroid neoplasms. Arch Pathol Lab Med 143(3):394–399

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mirallié E, Rigaud J, Mathonnet M, Gibelin H, Regenet N, Hamy A, Kraimps JL (2005) Management and prognosis of metastases to the thyroid gland. J Am Coll Surg 200(2):203–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Calzolari F, Sartori PV, Talarico C, Parmeggiani D, Beretta E, Pezzullo L, Misso C (2008) Surgical treatment of intrathyroid metastases: preliminary results of a multicentric study. Anticancer Res 28(5B):2885–2888

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Iesalnieks I, Winter H, Bareck E, Sotiropoulos GC, Goretzki PE, Klinkhammer-Schalke M, Raab M (2008) Thyroid metastases of renal cell carcinoma: clinical course in 45 patients undergoing surgery. Assessment of factors affecting patients' survival. Thyroid 18(6):615–624

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Beutner U, Leowardi C, Bork U, Lüthi C, Tarantino I, Pahernik S, Müller SA (2015) Survival after renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the thyroid: single center experience and systematic review of the literature. Thyroid 25(3):314–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. De Ridder M, Sermeus AB, Urbain D, Storme GA (2003) Metastases to the thyroid gland—a report of six cases. Eur J Intern Med 14(6):377–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Chen H, Nicol TL, Udelsman R (1999) Clinically significant, isolated metastatic disease to the thyroid gland. World J Surg 23(2):177–181

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, Veneto Institute of Oncology, Padua, Italy

    E. Battistella, L. Pomba, G. Mattara, B. Franzato & A. Toniato

Authors
  1. E. Battistella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. Pomba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Mattara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. Franzato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. Toniato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Battistella.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This article not contain any studies with human participants or animals.

Informed consent

For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Battistella, E., Pomba, L., Mattara, G. et al. Metastases to the thyroid gland: review of incidence, clinical presentation, diagnostic problems and surgery, our experience. J Endocrinol Invest 43, 1555–1560 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-020-01282-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-020-01282-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation