Ectopic Thyroid Tissue Mimicking a Carotid Body Paraganglioma

Ectopic thyroid tissue (ETT) in the lateral neck is a rare condition. We present the case of a 68-year-old woman who was admitted to our department with an isolated left lateral cervical swelling evolving for over eight months. CT scan and cervical MRI concluded to a paraganglioma. In surgery, a complete removal of the tumor was performed; however, it did not have the aspect of a paraganglioma. Then, histopathology revealed an ectopic thyroid adenoma. Even though ETT is very rare, it must be mentioned in the differential diagnosis of cervical paraganglioma.