Ann Clin Investigation | Volume 1, Issue 1 | Case Report | Open Access

A Case of Lingual Thyroid

Kanishkas Rao^1*, Vijendra S Shenoy², Panduranga M Kamath² and Anas Gomati¹

¹Department of ENT and Head & Neck Surgery, Aberdeen University, Scotland
²Department of ENT and Head & Neck Surgery, Manipal University, India

^*Correspondance to: Kanishkas Rao 

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Abstract

Lingual thyroid gland is a rare clinical entity which was found to occur due to the failure of the thyroid gland to descend into its normal ectopic pretracheal position location during embryogenesis. The reported incidence of lingual thyroid is 1 in 100,000, and it is more common in females, with a female:male ratio of 3:1. When located at the base of the tongue, ectopic gland is often asymptomatic but may cause local symptoms such as dysphagia, dysphonia, upper airway obstruction, hemorrhage and often with hypothyroidism. The diagnosis of lingual thyroid is usually made clinically and radionuclide scanning is used to confirm diagnosis. A case of lingual thyroid is presented for its rarity and for differential diagnosis of midline base of the tongue lesions. A 35-yearold female presented with complaints of increasing difficulty in breathing and a constant Foreign Object Sensation in the Throat (FOSIT) for the past year. Flexible video-laryngoscopic examination, reveled a well demarcated mid-line tongue base lesion measuring 3 cm × 3 cm. Technetium 99m scan reported it to be ectopic thyroid and tissue. Transoral excision of the lesion was done along with cauterization with bipolar cautery.

Keywords:

Lingual thyroid; Ectopic thyroid; Dyspnoea

Citation:

Rao K, Shenoy VS, Kamath PM, Gomati A. A Case of Lingual Thyroid. Ann Clin Investig. 2020; 1(1): 1002.