scholarly journals Thyroid Swelling and Thyroiditis in the Setting of Recent hCG Injections and Fine Needle Aspiration

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Lamos ◽  
Kashif M. Munir
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Nodule ◽  
Fine Needle Aspiration ◽  
Needle Aspiration ◽  
Neck Mass ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Fine Needle ◽  
Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration ◽  
Thyroid Swelling

A 60-year-old woman presented with a neck mass and underwent fine needle aspiration of a left thyroid nodule. During this time, she had been injected with hCG for weight loss. Soon after, she developed rapid diffuse thyroid growth with pain. She was ultimately diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis due to postaspiration subacute thyroiditis and subsequently became hypothyroid. This condition is rare in the nonpregnant state in noncystic nodules with a smaller needle gauge approach. The incidence of thyroid nodule discovery and evaluation is increasing. As more procedures are undertaken, understanding of potential complications is important. This case highlights potential complications of thyroid fine needle aspiration including diffuse thyroid swelling and thyroiditis. The role of hCG injections is speculated to have potentially stimulated thyroid follicular epithelium via cross-reactivity with the TSH receptor and contributed to the acute inflammatory response after fine needle aspiration.

Pathology of thyroid cancer

2011 ◽  
pp. 609-615
Author(s):  
Yolanda C. Oertel
Keyword(s):  
Fine Needle Aspiration ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Medullary Carcinoma ◽  
Needle Aspiration ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Thyroid Cancers ◽  
Fine Needle ◽  
Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration ◽  
Well Differentiated

The majority of thyroid cancers arise from the follicular epithelium, are usually well differentiated, and thus many have a follicular architecture with varying amounts of colloid present. Medullary carcinoma constitutes a minority of thyroid cancers and arises from the C cells. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is the accepted diagnostic test to determine whether a thyroid nodule is benign or malignant (1, 2). The role of the cytopathologist in the interpretation of smears has been considered crucial, and I believe this is partially valid. Based upon 30 years of experience as an ‘interventional pathologist’ who performs and interprets many aspirates, I emphasize that the quality of the sample is the crucial factor. The pathologist’s interpretation is only as good as the sample he/she obtains or receives, and not enough attention has been paid to the technique of aspiration. I have trained numerous physicians to perform FNAs in a skilful fashion in a short period of time, and I refer the reader to my previous publications (3–5). The high rate of ‘unsatisfactory specimens’ reported in the literature is concerning. This was discussed at the National Cancer Institute Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration State of the Science Conference in October 2007 (6) and it was recommended that ‘at the end of training and for re-credentialing 90% diagnostic samples should be documented’. Please note that FNA biopsy should not be confused with needle biopsies (e.g. Tru-cut, Vim-Silverman, etc.) that yield tissue fragments that are processed for histological diagnosis. The usual classification of thyroid cancers is founded on their histological and cytological features, many of which have been correlated with the clinical behaviour of the tumours. In addition, the age of the patients and the extent of the tumours are particularly important to determine the prognosis. The classification I follow is that of the WHO (7) with some of the modifications by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) (8). My discussion will be focused largely on the most common types (see Box 3.5.5.1). Prolonged follow-up of the patients and extensive modern studies of the tumours indicate that papillary carcinomas and follicular carcinomas have histological similarities and are usually of a low grade of malignancy, but they also have a variety of inherent differences.

scholarly journals MON-479 Acute Thyroid Edema: A Rare Complication of Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Bree Hosein ◽  
Neel L Shah ◽  
Marc Cillo
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Gland ◽  
Neck Pain ◽  
Fine Needle Aspiration ◽  
Rare Complication ◽  
Needle Aspiration ◽  
Fine Needle ◽  
Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration ◽  
Thyroid Swelling ◽  
Thyroid Fna ◽  
Thyroid Parenchyma

Abstract Background: Acute thyroid swelling is a rare complication of thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA). The first documented case was in 1982 and to date there are less than 20 cases currently reported in the literature (1). Case Presentation: A 66-year-old female with a history of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure was admitted to hospital to expedite heart transplant evaluation. A neck ultrasound was performed due to voice hoarseness and concern for vocal cord nodules. The ultrasound showed a 1.3 cm hypoechoic nodule in the right thyroid lobe. Given that the nodule had irregular borders and microcalcifications, a thyroid FNA was recommended. The patient’s home warfarin had been held for at least three days prior to the biopsy and her INR on the procedure date was 1.4. Her heparin drip was held four hours prior to the thyroid FNA. Immediately following the procedure, a 3.2 cm hematoma formed inferior to the thyroid gland. The heparin drip was restarted 6 hours post-FNA as per radiology’s recommendation. Cytology of the nodule was benign. The patient recovered well post FNA and improvement in the hematoma was noted on exam. Her hemoglobin was stable and she was restarted on warfarin. On day two post thyroid FNA, she reported significant neck pain, with no corresponding increase in the extra-thyroidal hematoma. No stridor or other concerning features were present on exam. A repeat thyroid ultrasound was performed three days after the FNA. It demonstrated fluid filled ‘cracks’ within the thyroid parenchyma and tripling in the volume of the thyroid gland, concerning for diffuse edema. No heterogeneity or subcapsular thickening was seen to suggest hemorrhage, and the previously demonstrated 3.2 cm extra-thyroidal hematoma was not visualized. She was treated with ibuprofen 800 mg and prednisone 30 mg, and noted an improvement in her neck pain with these measures. A repeat ultrasound done three weeks after initial thyroid FNA showed marked improvement of the diffuse swelling. Conclusion: The phenomenon of diffuse thyroid edema after fine need aspiration has been termed acute thyroid swelling (ATS). Given how frequently thyroid fine needle aspirations are performed, ATS appears to be a very rare complication. The etiology of ATS remains unknown, but the use of blood thinners, such as in our patient, does not appear to be a risk factor (1). The radiological appearance of fluid filled ‘cracks’ within the thyroid parenchyma suggests a more diffuse process, rather than a localized reaction. While NSAIDs or steroids may help with symptoms, patients appear to improve irrespective of whether or not medications are given. This suggests that ATS is a self-limiting condition without long term complications. Reference: (1) Polyzos SA, Anastasilakis AD, Arsos. Acute transient thyroid swelling following needle biopsy: An update. Hormones. 2012;11(2);147-150

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