Follicular carcinoma arising in ectopic thyroid tissue: case report with fine-needle aspiration findings

A 32-yr-old woman was found to have a 1 x 2 cm mass in the soft tissue of the neck 1 cm lateral to the left lobe of the thyroid gland. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy showed a follicular neoplasm. The excised mass showed a follicular carcinoma arising in lateral ectopic thyroid tissue. Subsequent excision of the thyroid gland and pathological examination showed no primary carcinoma in the gland. This report illustrates a case of primary follicular carcinoma arising in a lateral ectopic thyroid tissue in the neck.