Parapharyngeal metastasis from papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal Vol. 37; no. 18; p. 18
• Main Authors: Harrathi, Khaled, Omri, Malika El, Fradi, Rim, Korbi, Amel El, Kolsi, Naourez, Bouatay, Rachida, Koubaa, Jamel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda African Field Epidemiology Network 2020; The African Field Epidemiology Network; The Pan African Medical Journal
• Subjects: Ablation; Carcinoma, Papillary - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Papillary - pathology; Carotid arteries; Case Report; Dissection; Humans; Localization; Lymphatic Metastasis; Lymphatic system; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Metastasis; Middle Aged; neck dissection; papillary carcinoma; parapharyngeal metastasis; Pharyngeal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Pharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Pharyngeal Neoplasms - secondary; Thyroid cancer; Thyroid Neoplasms - diagnosis; Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology; Thyroidectomy; Ultrasonic imaging; unknown primary; unknown primary; neck dissection; Metastasis; parapharyngeal metastasis; papillary carcinoma
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2020.37.18.22933

Carcinoma of the thyroid gland is one of the most commonly encountered endocrine malignancies. Papillary carcinoma is the most common histological type and its pattern of metastasis are usually lymphatic. Lymphatic metastasis to parapharyngeal space is rare and have been reported, so we report the case of a 50-year-old male patient who had an occult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid presented as right lateral node of the neck and a nodal involvement of the right parapharyngeal space.