Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue in an Adolescent with Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of Current Literature

Intrathyroidal thymic tissue (ITT) is a benign entity found in children and young adolescents that often mimics a concerning thyroid nodule with microcalcifications on ultrasound. It is challenging for the clinician to distinguish between these two entities, which may lead to unnecessary invasive pr...

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Main Authors: Liane Eng, Lisa Underland, Leslie Lam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Pediatrics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8089714
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author Liane Eng
Lisa Underland
Leslie Lam
author_facet Liane Eng
Lisa Underland
Leslie Lam
author_sort Liane Eng
collection DOAJ
description Intrathyroidal thymic tissue (ITT) is a benign entity found in children and young adolescents that often mimics a concerning thyroid nodule with microcalcifications on ultrasound. It is challenging for the clinician to distinguish between these two entities, which may lead to unnecessary invasive procedures. We report an adolescent female patient with Graves’ disease who underwent total thyroidectomy for a thyroid nodule concerning for malignancy for which the surgical pathology ultimately revealed ITT. As ITT is rarely found beyond childhood, the concurrent Graves’ disease may have led to persistence of thymic tissue in this patient. Several sonographic features can help in differentiating ITT from a concerning thyroid nodule. Once identified, ITT should be followed by serial imaging with anticipation of decreasing size or complete resolution over time.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
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series Case Reports in Pediatrics
spelling doaj-art-2404273f2a4f42ce8e5b7d56c9242bcd2025-08-20T03:54:58ZengWileyCase Reports in Pediatrics2090-68032090-68112019-01-01201910.1155/2019/80897148089714Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue in an Adolescent with Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of Current LiteratureLiane Eng0Lisa Underland1Leslie Lam2Division of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, 3415 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, USADivision of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, 3415 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, USADivision of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, 3415 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, USAIntrathyroidal thymic tissue (ITT) is a benign entity found in children and young adolescents that often mimics a concerning thyroid nodule with microcalcifications on ultrasound. It is challenging for the clinician to distinguish between these two entities, which may lead to unnecessary invasive procedures. We report an adolescent female patient with Graves’ disease who underwent total thyroidectomy for a thyroid nodule concerning for malignancy for which the surgical pathology ultimately revealed ITT. As ITT is rarely found beyond childhood, the concurrent Graves’ disease may have led to persistence of thymic tissue in this patient. Several sonographic features can help in differentiating ITT from a concerning thyroid nodule. Once identified, ITT should be followed by serial imaging with anticipation of decreasing size or complete resolution over time.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8089714
spellingShingle Liane Eng
Lisa Underland
Leslie Lam
Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue in an Adolescent with Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of Current Literature
Case Reports in Pediatrics
title Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue in an Adolescent with Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of Current Literature
title_full Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue in an Adolescent with Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of Current Literature
title_fullStr Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue in an Adolescent with Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of Current Literature
title_full_unstemmed Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue in an Adolescent with Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of Current Literature
title_short Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue in an Adolescent with Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of Current Literature
title_sort intrathyroidal thymic tissue in an adolescent with graves disease case report and review of current literature
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8089714
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AT leslielam intrathyroidalthymictissueinanadolescentwithgravesdiseasecasereportandreviewofcurrentliterature