Malignant Thyroid-type Papillary Neoplasm in Struma Ovarii: A Case Report

Cureus. 2019 Dec 23;11(12):e6450. doi: 10.7759/cureus.6450.

Abstract

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) arising in a coexistent struma ovarii (SO) is a rare malignancy. It manifests with abdominal symptoms such as palpable mass, pain, distension, and possibly ascites. It is usually diagnosed postoperatively, and its histopathological diagnostic criteria remain identical to that of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Due to the relative rarity of the disease, definitive guidelines for its overall management are still undefined. We present a case of a 51-year old female with suspicion of a left ovarian tumor due to her presenting symptoms: raised serum CA-125 levels and abnormal abdominopelvic CT scan findings. She underwent complete surgical debulking of the mass (total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), omentectomy, appendectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy). The mass was postoperatively diagnosed by histopathology as PTC in SO (stage IA). Furthermore, our patient did not receive any adjuvant treatment. The patient has been disease-free for 24 months post-surgery and is scheduled for regular biannual follow-ups.

Keywords: ca-125; dystrophic calcification; orphan annie eye nuclei; ovarian tumor; papillary thyroid carcinoma; psammoma body; stained glass appearance; struma ovarii; surgical debulking; thyroid gland.

Publication types

  • Case Reports