Mandibular metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma--a case report

Mandibular metastases from papillary carcinoma of the thyroid are very uncommon. Whereas follicular carcinoma metastasizes hematogenously, papillary carcinoma usually remains intrathyroidal and tends to metastasize only to regional nodes. A case of metastatic papillary carcinoma to the mandible is presented here. The metastasis arose five years after a right thyroid lobectomy and isthmectomy for lesions diagnosed as papillary carcinoma. Though relatively rare, thyroid tumors metastatic to the mandible should be included in the differential diagnosis of tumors in the oral region because early detection and treatment of these metastatic lesions may result in long-term survival.