A case of papillary thyroid cancer with cutaneous involvement: Management implications

Abstract

Papillary thyroid cancer involving the skin is rare. It occurs mainly in the context of advanced disease associated with direct spread to the adjacent neck skin. A 64-year-old woman presented with an ulcerated anterior neck mass. She was investigated fully and went through intricate surgical and adjuvant treatment. Skin invasion is predictive of the extent of perilesional infiltration and, consequently, the extent of surgery. Surgical management based on detailed planning is essential in such cases wherein the skin lesion is excised during thyroidectomy and neck dissection. This is followed by adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy and close follow-up.