An Unusual Case of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis with Four Lobed Thyroid Gland

• Published in: North American journal of medical sciences Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 151 - 153
• Main Authors: Dar, Rayees Ahmad, Chowdri, Nisar Ahmad, Parray, Fazl Qadir, Wani, Sabiya Hamid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01-03-2012; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
• Subjects: Analysis; Case Report; Case studies; Diagnosis; Histology, Pathological; Physiological aspects; T cells; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune; United States; Four lobed thyroid gland; Thyroid anomaly; Thyroidectomy; Hashimoto's thyroiditis
• ISSN: 1947-2714; 2250-1541; 1947-2714
• DOI: 10.4103/1947-2714.93881

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), an autoimmune disorder, is the most prevalent cause of subclinical or overt hypothyroidism in areas with sufficient iodine intake. The gland is often diffusely enlarged, and the parenchyma is coarsened, hypoechoic, and often hypervascular on ultrasonograpy. Histopathologic appearance of HT includes lymphocyte aggregates with germinal centers, small thyroid follicles, presence of Hurthle cells, and variable fibrosis. We present a case of a 40-year-old female with suspected follicular neoplasm on fine-needle aspiration cytology of neck swelling. Intraoperatively, thyroid gland was found having four lobes separated from each other. Total thyroidectomy was done and histopathology from all four lobes revealed HT. At present, there is no literature to support the fact that such distorted thyroid anatomy may be due to the underlying disease. If we consider it as thyroid gland anomaly, no such anomaly has been mentioned in the literature till date.