Paraganglioma of the thyroid gland: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Paraganglioma of the thyroid gland is a rare disease entity, with only a handful of cases documented in the literature. We report on a middle-aged man with thyroid paraganglioma that presented as an incidental finding on the computed tomography scan of the thorax. Preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was suggestive of a neuroendocrine tumour. Hemithyroidectomy was performed and histological findings were most compatible with paraganglioma arising from the thyroid gland. The diagnosis of primary thyroid paraganglioma is rarely established by FNAC preoperatively due to architectural similarities with other thyroid tumours; the most important clinical technique for differentiating thyroid paraganglioma from other histology is immunohistochemistry. According to the literature, the first-line treatment for primary thyroid paraganglioma is surgical resection. The prognosis following surgical resection is generally good.