Triple Ectopic Thyroid Gland in a 4-Year-Old Child

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ectopic thyroid tissue, thyroid tissue found outside its normal location, is rare.
• Triple ectopic thyroid, with three distinct sites of thyroid tissue, is exceptionally rare, particularly in pediatric cases.

Observation:

• A 4-year-old boy presented with a right submandibular neck mass.
• Imaging revealed two additional ectopic thyroid nodules in the sublingual and hyoid areas.
• No thyroid tissue was found in the normal pretracheal location.

Findings:

• Fine-needle aspiration biopsy confirmed normal thyroid tissue in the submandibular mass.
• A Tc-99m pertechnetate scan confirmed the presence of three ectopic thyroid tissue sites.
• The patient was euthyroid with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine levels.

Implications:

• Delayed presentation of ectopic thyroid as a mass poses diagnostic challenges.
• Ectopic thyroid should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neck masses in children, even with normal thyroid function.
• This case underscores the rarity of triple thyroid ectopy and its varied presentations.