Skull base metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma: a report of three cases

Skull base metastasis from differentiated thyroid carcinoma, including papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma, is a rare manifestation. Herein, we present three cases of skull base metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma. The mean age of the patients was 68.6 (65-74) years, and the mean interval between initial diagnosis and skull base metastasis was 56.3 (28-89) months. Cranial nerve palsies were seen in all patients. Intensity modulated radiation therapy to deliver 6,000-6,600 cGy to the skull base metastasis was given to all patients, in addition to partial resection in one patient. At the time of last follow-up, all skull base metastases were well controlled.