Intraparotid Recurrence of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma After Thyroidectomy Coincident With Declining Thyroglobulin Levels: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Ear Nose Throat J. 2023 Dec;102(12):NP599-NP603. doi: 10.1177/01455613211033124. Epub 2021 Jul 14.

Abstract

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent thyroid malignancy. Intraparotid recurrence of PTC is, however, rare. Most parotid malignancies are either primary or metastatic from cancer outside the head and neck. We report a case of a 71-year-old man who had undergone lobectomy and completion thyroidectomy for PTC and presented to our clinic with an insidious intraparotid recurrence, for which he underwent a superficial parotidectomy and radioactive iodine therapy. We also present a review of the literature on similar cases. Intraparotid metastasis of PTC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a parotid mass.

Keywords: intraparotid; papillary thyroid cancer; recurrence; thyroglobulin.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinoma* / pathology
  • Carcinoma* / surgery
  • Carcinoma, Papillary* / surgery
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / surgery
  • Thyroglobulin
  • Thyroid Cancer, Papillary / surgery
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Thyroidectomy

Substances

  • Thyroglobulin
  • Iodine Radioisotopes