Skip to main content

CASE REPORT article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Head and Neck Cancer
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1551514
This article is part of the Research Topic Early Diagnosis in Head and Neck Cancer: Advances, Techniques, and Challenges View all 4 articles

Repeated misdiagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid: a case report

Provisionally accepted
Yu Zheng Yu Zheng 1Tingting Ding Tingting Ding 1Yunsong Peng Yunsong Peng 2Jianyong Zhang Jianyong Zhang 2*
  • 1 Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
  • 2 Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (SCCT) represents a rare subtype of thyroid malignancy characterized by a poor prognosis and is frequently misdiagnosed as subacute thyroiditis (SAT). This report discusses a case of SCCT that was recurrently misdiagnosed with neck pain as the initial clinical presentation. An 80-year-old Asian female presented multiple times to the department of emergency, department of vascular and thyroid surgery, and department of endocrinology due to a painful neck mass. Ultrasonography identified a cystic solid mass in the right thyroid lobe, measuring 4.55 cm*3.2 cm. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning revealed a significant enlargement of the right thyroid lobe, with an irregular mass exhibiting indistinct boundaries and blurred surrounding spaces. Laryngoscopic examination demonstrated immobilization of the right vocal cord and inadequate glottic closure. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was elevated to 94 mm/h. Thyroid function tests indicated subclinical thyrotoxicosis. The patient was initially diagnosed with subacute thyroiditis, and her symptoms improved following treatment with glucocorticoids and analgesics. One month following treatment, the patient experienced dyspnea, and subsequent computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed tracheal compression and narrowing, which contributed to the respiratory distress. A biopsy of the tumor was conducted, and pathological examination confirmed the presence of squamous cell carcinoma. To definitively diagnose SCCT, pathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis are required. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential for developing appropriate treatment strategies and enhancing patient survival rates. It is imperative for clinicians to comprehend this rare and life-threatening disease to enhance treatment efficacy.

    Keywords: Squamous cell carcinoma of thyroid, Thyroid tumor, subacute thyroiditis, Misdiagnosis, prognosis

    Received: 25 Dec 2024; Accepted: 30 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Zheng, Ding, Peng and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jianyong Zhang, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.