Late-Onset Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma to the Thyroid Gland: An Unusual Airway Emergency

BACKGROUND Thyroid malignant lesions mostly present as an anterior neck mass with or without compressive symptoms. Infrequently, metastases from extra-thyroid neoplasms migrate to the thyroid gland. These lesions most commonly arise from renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is the primary kidney malignancy in adults. This case parallels one of the longest latency periods described in the literature from a primary RCC with metastasis to the thyroid gland (TG). CASE REPORT We report a case of an 88-year-old female patient with past medical history of RCC resected 25 years earlier, who presented to the Emergency Department with a large left anterior neck mass causing dyspnea and stridor due to intra-tracheal extension. The airway symptoms progressed rapidly, and she required emergent management to secure the airway in the operating room. CONCLUSIONS This case reports a rare instance in which RCC metastasis presented with intra-tracheal extension causing airway compromise and the need for emergent airway management. It is the first time that use of cold instruments has been documented to excise RCC's intra-luminal tracheal lesion to secure the airway in an emergent case in a safe manner. With this surgical approach, the airway is secured by endotracheal intubation after excision of an intra-luminal tracheal lesion, with the benefit of avoiding awake tracheostomy in a patient with a distorted neck anatomy. Also, this case reinforces that metastatic RCC to the thyroid gland can occur 25 years after initial diagnosis. For this reason, we advocate lifelong monitoring in patients with the diagnosis of RCC.