Thyroid Ectopia in the Euthyroid Patient: A Rare Case Discussion.
- 1Otolaryngology, West Virginia University Hospitals, Martinsburg, USA.
- 2Medicine, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, USA.
Abstract
Base-of-tongue masses are difficult to differentiate based on imaging alone. The vast majority of masses in this region are squamous cell carcinomas, necessitating prompt and thorough evaluation. However, particularly in deep, midline, submucosal distributions, congenital masses are an important differential to consider due to the embryological correlates of aberrant structures in this location. For patients in whom ectopic thyroid is suspected, it is imperative to discern whether functional orthotopic thyroid tissue is present. Most patients with thyroid ectopia have some extent of thyroid dysfunction, the degree of which will impact definitive management. Many patients are asymptomatic, while those who do present with symptoms report largely nonspecific findings such as dysphagia and dry cough. We present the case of a 60-year-old female patient who presented to an otolaryngology clinic for evaluation after a base-of-tongue mass was noted incidentally on imaging after a fall. Initial workup included flexible laryngopharyngoscopy for direct visualization of the mass, followed by biopsy revealing ectopic thyroid tissue.
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BibTeX
@article{cummins2026thyroid,
title = {{Thyroid Ectopia in the Euthyroid Patient: A Rare Case Discussion.}},
author = {Melissa Cummins and Levi Stevens},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116636},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910025},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Thyroid Ectopia in the Euthyroid Patient: A Rare Case Discussion.
AU - Melissa Cummins
AU - Levi Stevens
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116636
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910025
AB - Base-of-tongue masses are difficult to differentiate based on imaging alone. The vast majority of masses in this region are squamous cell carcinomas, necessitating prompt and thorough evaluation. However, particularly in deep, midline, submucosal distributions, congenital masses are an important differential to consider due to the embryological correlates of aberrant structures in this location. For patients in whom ectopic thyroid is suspected, it is imperative to discern whether functional orthotopic thyroid tissue is present. Most patients with thyroid ectopia have some extent of thyroid dysfunction, the degree of which will impact definitive management. Many patients are asymptomatic, while those who do present with symptoms report largely nonspecific findings such as dysphagia and dry cough. We present the case of a 60-year-old female patient who presented to an otolaryngology clinic for evaluation after a base-of-tongue mass was noted incidentally on imaging after a fall. Initial workup included flexible laryngopharyngoscopy for direct visualization of the mass, followed by biopsy revealing ectopic thyroid tissue.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -