Hindawi, Case Reports in Otolaryngology, (2013), p. 1-4, 2013
DOI: 10.1155/2013/579527
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Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) usually extend to lymph nodes in the neck and mediastinum. Rarely, they invade the neighboring upper airway anatomical structures. We report a 56-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of upper airway obstruction. Imaging studies revealed a lesion derived from the thyroid which invaded and obstructed the trachea, which appeared to be a highly differentiated PTC. Total thyroidectomy was performed, with removal of the endotracheal part of the mass along with the corresponding anterior tracheal rings. Two months later, a whole body I131scan after recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rh-TSH) administration was performed and revealed a residual mass in upper left thyroid lobe. Subsequently, 150 mCi I131were given following rh-TSH administration. Nine months later, there was no sign of residual tumor. This case is the first one reported in the literature regarding rh-TSH administration prior to RAI ablation in a PTC obstructing the trachea.