An unusual case of thyroid hurtle cell carcinoma with direct extension to the right brachiocephalic vein, right auricle, and right atrium: Case report

The clinical behavior of various types of thryroid tumor have been much studied during the past several decades, and the histologic features, surgical management, and prognostic factors of follicular and papillary tumors in particular have been clarified to a considerable degree. On the other hand, there is still controversy concerning management of Hurtle cell tumor (HCT) of the thyroid. HCT is not a common disease, making it impossible to obtain sufficient clinical data at a single institution. It has been reported that all HCT are aggressive and should be treated as malignant tumors. It is believed that an accurate differential diagnosis can be made between cancer and adenoma on the basis of pathological studies. We describe a patient with HCT of the thyroid extending into the right atrium. To our knowledge, after a Medline search, this is the first such case in the medical literature. The interesting features are described, and the relevant literature is briefly reviewed.