Dual ectopic thyroid gland with Graves' disease and unilateral ophthalmopathy: A case report and review of the literature

Ectopic thyroid gland (ETG) is a rare entity and can be seen anywhere in the route of descending gland. It is much rarer when encountered away from the midline. Dual ETG is such a rare entity that only a few have been reported in the literature. ETGs not only cause thyroid dysfunction, most commonly hypothyroidism and rarely hyperthyroidism, but also frequent local symptoms. Therapeutic options change according to patients' co-morbid diseases, age, size of goiter and presence of local symptoms. Graves' disease is very rarely detected in a patient with ectopic thyroid. There is no report in literature concerning ectopic thyroid presenting with Graves' disease and unilateral ophthalmopathy. We describe a case with dual ETG and Graves' disease and unilateral ophthalmopathy: it is the first reported in literature. (C) 2004, Editrice Kurtis.