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Ectopic Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue Mimicking Thyroid Nodules in Children
Author(s) -
Frates Mary C.,
Benson Carol B.,
Dorfman David M.,
Cibas Edmund S.,
Huang Stephen A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.1002/jum.14360
Subject(s) - medicine , thyroid , biopsy , pathology , lesion , choristoma , radiology
Ectopic intrathyroidal thymic tissue is a benign lesion of nonthyroid origin occasionally found in the pediatric thyroid gland. Accurate diagnosis of such lesions is critical to avoid unnecessary biopsy or surgery. Twelve children referred to our center for the concern of thyroid nodules were found to have intrathyroidal thymic tissue. Most of the lesions had a classic sonographic appearance of a hypoechoic mass with sharp margins and multiple focal internal nonshadowing echogenicities identical to thymic tissue. Sonography and, in select cases, fine‐needle aspiration can be used to diagnose benign thymic tissue within the thyroid and avoid unnecessary surgery.