Metastases to the thyroid: Two cases and a review of the literature

Background: Metastases to the thyroid gland are uncommon in clinical practi ce. However, the incidence of secondary thyroid tumors reached up to 24% in selected autopsy series. First Case Report: A metastasis to the thyroid gl and was removed in a 54-year-old man with a large-cell anaplastic carcinoma of the left lung. Later, the patient was irradiated in the cervical region because of a thyroid recurrence. A complete remission was achieved. Eleven months later the patient died with a pulmonal progression and multiple bra in metastases. Second Case Report: A metastasis of an unknown primary in th e cerebellum of a 52-year-old man was removed. Progression of disease with a mediastinal tumor occurred 5 months after initial treatment. The patient died of multi-organ failure. Upon autopsy a small-cell lung carcinoma was d iagnosed and a metastasis in the thyroid was found. Conclusion: Metastases to the thyroid gland are often a sign of an unfavorable clinical course. Th e most common primary sites of solid tumors are lung, breast, kidney, and t he gastrointestinal tract. Lymphomas as systemic diseases have to be taken into consideration, too. Fast diagnosis and individual therapy can improve the quality of life and prolong survival.