Fine needle aspiration as a diagnostic tool for metastasis to thyroid: A dilemma

  • Prashant Vijay Kumavat Assitant Professor LTMMC and LTMGH sion mumbai . Mahrashtra.
  • Anitha Padmanabhan Assitant Professor LTMMC and LTMGH sion mumbai . Mahrashtra.
  • Manisha Khare
  • Chetan Sudhakar Chaudhari Assitant Professor LTMMC and LTMGH sion mumbai . Mahrashtra.
  • Nitin Gadgil
Keywords: Fine-Needle Aspiration, Immunohistochemistry, Lobular Breast Carcinoma, Thyroid Metastasis.

Abstract

Metastasis to the thyroid gland is very rare. It is very important to differentiate metastasis to thyroid from primary thyroid malignancy from the treatment  point of view. A 48-years-old lady presented with weakness of lower limbs and backache since one and half months. External examinations reveal diffuse, nodular goitre. A fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the thyroid nodule showed malignant epithelial cells with features characteristic of invasive lobular breast carcinoma. The diagnosis offered on FNAC was metastatic lobular breast carcinoma which was later confirmed on histopathological finding at autopsy. IHC performed on thyroid nodule was positive for: CK7, AE1-AE3, ER   and negative for: E-cadherin, confirming its lobular nature.  TTF1 was negative. FNA could be useful for diagnosis of thyroid metastasis, but it should be confirmed by immunohistochemistry. 

Author Biography

Prashant Vijay Kumavat, Assitant Professor LTMMC and LTMGH sion mumbai . Mahrashtra.
Assitant Professor, Department of pathology,  LTMMC AND LTMGH SION mumbai

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Published
2016-05-08
Issue
Vol 3 No 2 (2016)
Section
Case Report

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