A Case of Pleural Metastasis from Papillary Tthyroid Carcinoma.

Jeong, Jaeheon; Shin, Sang Yun; Son, Myoung Kyun; Lee, Young Joo; Kim, Se Hyun; Kie, Jeong Hae; Choi, Yoon Jung; Hong, Yong Kook; Hahn, Chang Hoon; Lee, Sun Min; Kim, Chong Ju

doi:2007.63.2.188

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 63(2); 2007 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2007;63(2):188-193.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2007.63.2.188 Published online August 1, 2007.

A Case of Pleural Metastasis from Papillary Tthyroid Carcinoma.

Jaeheon Jeong, Sang Yun Shin, Myoung Kyun Son, Young Joo Lee, Se Hyun Kim, Jeong Hae Kie, Yoon Jung Choi, Yong Kook Hong, Chang Hoon Hahn, Sun Min Lee, Chong Ju Kim

¹Department of Internal Medicine, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Koyang, Korea. kom2d@netsgo.com
²Department of Pathology, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Koyang, Korea.
³Department of Radiology, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Koyang, Korea.
⁴Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Lung cancer, breast cancer and lymphoma are the common oncologic causes of malignant pleural effusion, comprising more than the half of the causes. However, an endocrinologic carcinoma associated malignant effusion is very rare. Recently, we encountered a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma causing malignant effusion. An 83-year-old female patient presented with dyspnea due to massive pleural effusion in her left side. The pleural biopsy, pleural fluid cytology and breast needle aspiration biopsy results were consistent with a metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid ultrasonography showed two thyroid masses, but the patient refused a thyroid biopsy. This case highlights the need for considering the possibility of papillary thyroid carcinoma when the cause of malignant pleural effusion cannot be found because one of the rare clinical manifestations of a papillary thyroid carcinoma can be dyspnea due to malignant effusion.

Key Words: Papillary thyroid carcinoma, Pleural metastasis, Malignant pleural effusion