Renal cell carcinoma with metastasis to the thyroid gland

Cancers that metastasize to the thyroid gland are uncommon. Metastasis to t he thyroid gland has been reported in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), breast ca ncer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal malignancies, malignant melanoma, sarco ma, hematologic malignancies, and other genitourinary cancers. A computer s earch of the records of the department of pathology at Loyola University Me dical Center was done to determine the number of thyroidectomies performed between 1988 and 1998. A detailed review of the clinical records of patient s with metastasis to the thyroid gland from RCC was done. A total of 941 th yroidectomies were performed between 1988 and 1998. Metastasis to the thyro id gland was seen in six cases (0.64%). Three of these six cases had metast asis from RCC. The interval between the diagnosis of the primary RCC and th e thyroid metastasis was 2 to 10 years. Two of these three patients had an adenomatous thyroid gland. Metastases to the thyroid, though relatively rar ely diagnosed clinically as a cause of thyroid nodule, must he considered i n the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodule, particularly in patients wh o have a history of RCC. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved .