A Case of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Metastatic to the Parapharyngeal Space

Abstract

A 43-year-old female who had undergone a right thyroidectomy in 1988 suffered from swallowing sensation from 2000. The CT and MRI findings demonstrated large cystic masses in the right parapharyngeal space. The tumor was resected surgically using the mandibular swing method to get a wide view. Histological examinations showed that the tumor was metastatic retropharyngeal lymph node from papillary thyroid carcinoma. It is very rare that the metastatic lesion of thyroid carcinoma occurs in the retropharyngeal lymph node. For cases with extensive metastasis, careful attention to the retropharyngeal space should be paid.