Hürthle cell carcinoma in an autonomous thyroid nodule in an adolescent

A 16-year-old girl presented with a palpable thyroid nodule which was found to be functioning autonomously by radioiodine (123I) scintigraphy. After needle biopsy proved non-diagnostic, surgical excision showed the nodule to be Hürthle cell carcinoma. Functional thyroid nodules are rarely malignant, thyroid carcinoma is rare in childhood, and Hürthle cell carcinoma is a rare thyroid neoplasm, so the presence of these three rare conditions in one patient makes it a very unusual case.