Occult Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Presenting as a Metastatic Pleural Effusion

전이성 흉수로 발현된 잠재성 유두상 갑상선암

Although papillary carcinoma of the thyroid generally follows an indolent course characterized by slow growth and the absence of distant metastases, several available reports suggest that metastasis to bone and/or lung parenchyma may occur infrequently. But pleural metastases are known to be very rare, so there have been only two case reports about the pleural metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma in the literatures. Even the case of occult papillary thyroid carcinoma presenting as a metastatic pleural effusion has been never been reported. Recently we experienced a case with the chief complaint of dyspnea due to massive pleural effusion, the cytologic examination of which revealed the papillary carcinoma with psamomma bodies. The examination of the thyroid revealed no definite primary tumor. The total thyroidectomy was done with the plan of post-operative radioactive iodine treatment and the pathologic result confirmed the occult papillary microcarcinoma as expected. With the present case report, the extension of the clinical spectrum. of metastatic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is expected.

저자들은 젊은 남자에서 잠재성 유두상 갑상선암이 흉막전이되어 호흡곤란을 유발할 정도의 대량 흉수로 발현된 증례에서 전갑상선절제술로 원발 종양을 병리학적으로 확인하고 악성흉수에 대한 흉막유착술과 전이성 유두양 갑상선암에 대한 방사선 옥소치료를 시행한 증례를 경험하였기에 문헌고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.