DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2016.v04i04.001

Pages: 312-317

Thyroglossal duct carcinoma (TGDC) is a rare disease with few reported series. We review our experience of seven cases to help preoperative diagnosis and thus the management of this rare condition. A review of the clinical presentation, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and histological diagnosis was done in seven patients with ultrasound (USG) documented “solid internal component” in a thyroglossal duct cyst. The Ultrasound features were analyzed in detail. Ultrasound of the neck and image-guided FNAC of the cyst may be adequate initial investigation for thyroglossal cysts. FNAC by itself is not a good investigation to diagnose TGDC as rate of false-negatives and inadequate specimens are high. Solid internal component with echogenic micro calcifications on imaging was predictive of carcinoma within a thyroglossal cyst in seven out of seven cases. To our knowledge, our paper is the first series of cases of its kind with emphasis on imaging and preoperative diagnosis of thyroglossal cyst carcinoma.