@article{3097189,
    title = "A hyperthyroid patient with ectopic mediastinal thyroid goiter affected
by Graves disease",
    author = "Papalambros, E and Griniatsos, J and Syriou, V and Hasiotis, D and and Felekouras, E and Sigala, F and Anapliotou, M and Bakogiannis, C and and Bastounis, E",
    journal = "The Endocrinologist",
    year = "2005",
    volume = "15",
    number = "5",
    pages = "292-294",
    publisher = "Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins",
    issn = "1051-2144, 1539-9192",
    doi = "10.1097/01.ten.0000181626.63227.d5",
    keywords = "ectopic thyroid goiter; mediastinal goiter; Graves disease;
hyperthyroidism",
    abstract = "True ectopic mediastinal thyroid goiters are rare developmental
anomalies, accounting for less than 1% of all thyroid ectopies, whereas
Graves disease in an ectopic mediastinal thyroid goiter has been
reported only twice in the international literature. A 51-year-old
female patient with poorly controlled hyperthyroidism, secondary to
Graves disease was referred to our unit for thyroidectomy. A
preoperative thyroid scan disclosed an ectopic thyroid goiter below the
lower pole of the left thyroid lobe completely isolated from the
cervical pretracheal thyroid gland. Intraoperatively, an ectopic mass,
macroscopically compatible to thyroid tissue, attached to the posterior
surface of the left upper horn of the thymus gland, was found. The
patient underwent total thyroidectomy followed by resection of the
ectopic goiter. Histologic examination confirmed the thyroid nature of
the ectopic tissue, showing findings compatible with Graves disease, in
both the thyroid gland and the ectopic tissue. There were also loci of
papillary carcinoma in the cervical thyroid gland. When a pretracheal
thyroidectomy for symptomatic thyroid disease is planned, preoperative
thyroid scan should be performed to detect possible ectopic thyroid
tissue. The English literature reports that untreated ectopic
mediastinal thyroid tissue can lead to failure to cure the
hyperthyroidism in Graves disease or leave untreated coexisting
malignancy in the ectopic tissue."
}