Solitary benign thyroid nodule in an elderly female cadaver

A thyroid nodule (TN) is a structurally discrete lesion within the thyroid gland that can be readily distinguished from the adjoining normal thyroid parenchyma. TNs are more frequently detected these days because of the widespread use of high-resolution imaging techniques for various neck pathologies. A well-circumscribed macroscopic lesion measuring 17 mm ×14 mm ×12 mm was observed in the left lobe of the thyroid gland during routine dissection performed on an embalmed elderly female cadaver for undergraduate teaching. It was firm to the touch and greyish brown in color. In the histological examination, the lesion appeared intensely stained and encapsulated by a thick fibrous capsule having various sizes of thyroid follicles lined by cuboidal to low-columnar epithelium with focal areas of calcification and hemorrhages. There was no sign of local tissue or vascular invasion by the lesion. No nuclear atypia was observed. The lesion was identified as a benign follicular adenoma. This report underscores the significance of recognizing that a thyroid gland that appears to be within normal limits may, in fact, harbor a thyroid nodule of considerable size. The identification of such nodules is of paramount importance, as a significant proportion of benign thyroid lesions found in geriatric women have a high propensity to undergo malignant transformation.