Metastatic Follicular Carcinoma of the Thyroid: A Case Report

Neck lumps may indicate metabolic disorders of the parathyroid and thyroid glands commonly present in the anterior aspect of the neck. Some neck lumps are detected as follicular thyroid cancer. Follicular thyroid cancer is a malignant epithelial tumor that shows evidence of follicular cell differentiation but lacks the characteristic nuclear features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Iodine-deficient regions have higher rates of follicular carcinoma. There has been a decline in the incidence of this kind of tumor in recent years. As with PTC, prior radiation therapy increases the risk of follicular cancer, but to a lesser extent. In some cases, patients have distant metastases that involve the bones. Follicular cancer is divided into minimally invasive and widely invasive types. Early detection is important. Treatment usually consists of thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine therapy, and hormone replacement therapy may be necessary. Fine needle aspiration cytology is an efficient and cost-effective tool for the diagnosis of neck swelling and has the potential to diagnose the mass. We report the case of a 60-year-old Indian woman who had been experiencing neck swelling for the last 12 years. The neglected neck mass was confirmed as a hyperechoic mass with microcalcifications on ultrasound, representative of metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma, which further spread to the ribs and the vertebrae. The patient was followed without complications.