Thyroid gland metastasis from breast cancer – a rare case report and literature overview

Abstract

Introduction The thyroid gland is a rare site for metastatic lesions from non-thyroid cancers. Due to the fact that achieving a diagnosis of thyroid gland metastasis from breast cancer prior to operation is challenging, the diagnosis thereof is mainly based on a pathological biopsy and immunohistochemical staining. The aim of this study was to present a rare case of thyroid gland metastasis from lobular breast cancer.

Case outline The patient was a 33-year-old female who had already had a five-year history of lobular cancer of the right breast and was thereafter found to have two suspicious tumors in the left breast, as well as a thyroid mass diagnosed as metastatic breast carcinoma.

Conclusion Patients who have a thyroid lesion and a history of malignancy are at a higher risk for metastasis and require additional caution during diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: thyroid metastasis; breast cancer, diagnosis, treatment; histopathological analysis