Ectopic thyroid cancer diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

We report a case of papillary carcinoma in a mediastinal ectopic thyroid diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). In this case, the tumor was adjacent to the central airway; therefore, we attempted to perform EBUS-TBNA to obtain specimens for a diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Surgical resection was conducted, and histological evaluation of the resected specimen confirmed ectopic papillary thyroid carcinoma, consistent with the histology from the EBUS-TBNA specimen. As a safe and minimally invasive procedure, EBUS-TBNA may be considered for the diagnosis of mediastinal lesions, including papillary carcinoma in mediastinal ectopic thyroid.