Carcinoma arising from thyroglossal duct remnants

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) are unusual remnants of the thyroid gland that are rarely observed in association with carcinoma. The present study aimed to showcase the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and management of patients with TGDC carcinoma. It was a single-center study conducted from February 2016 to February 2020. The study involved the retrospective analysis of a series of cases with TGDC carcinoma. A total of 10 patients were included in the study, of whom eight (80%) were females. Their age ranged from 25 to 48 years with a mean age of 39.1 years. A total of five cases (50%) underwent only Sistrunk's procedure, four patients (40%) underwent total thyroidectomy along with Sistrunk's procedure and one patient (10%) was treated by Sistrunk operation and lobectomy. In all of the cases (100%), histopathological examination confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma in TGDCs. In addition, in the thyroid tissue, 2 cases (20%) also had papillary thyroid carcinoma and 3 cases (30%) had papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Radioiodine was administered in one patient (10%) with suppressive thyroxine. A three-year follow-up with ultrasound revealed no suspicious lesions in any of the cases. Although rare, carcinoma may develop in the thyroglossal cysts. In this situation, both the thyroid gland and different lymph node compartments should be evaluated for malignancy. Surgical intervention is the cornerstone of management.