Case Report - Papillary carcinoma arising in a thyroglossal duct remnant

Carcinoma arising in the congenital thyroglossal duct remnant is a rare occurrence. Less than 150 cases are reported in the literature, most being papillary carcinoma. We report a papillary carcinoma arising in a thyroglossal duct remnant in a 50-year-old man. Management of this condition remains controversial. Most of these tumours arise from the ectopic thyroid tissue within the cyst. Prognosis is good as long as there is no metastasis. Sistrunk procedure is adequate if histology does not reveal extracystic extension.