Histological characterization of a lingual mass using thyroglobulin immunoperoxidase staining

We report a patient with a lingual mass clinically diagnosed as lingual thyroid. Due to marked distortion of the normal thyroidal architecture from prior 131I therapy, pathological examination of the mass was consistent with a mixed salivary gland tumor. Immunoperoxidase staining for thyroglobulin was utilized to correctly characterize the lingual mass as ectopic thyroid.