Zhang Qun, Zhou Lin, Li Wei, Xu Yanling
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, No. 4026 Yatai street, Changchun, 130041, Jilin, China.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, Jilin, China.
BMC Pulm Med. 2025 Jan 29;25(1):46. doi: 10.1186/s12890-025-03514-2.
Ectopic thyroid tissue (ETT) is a rare congenital anomaly caused by the abnormal embryonic migration of thyroid tissue, leading to its presence outside its usual pretracheal location. This condition can lead to diagnostic challenges, especially when located within the airway, as it mimics other respiratory disorders such as asthma.
We report the case of a 69-year-old man with endotracheal ETT presenting with severe dyspnea, and the lesion was initially suspected to be malignant. The diagnosis of ETT was confirmed through bronchoscopy and histopathological examination. The patient underwent successful endoscopic interventional therapy, resulting in significant symptom improvement and complete resolution of the airway lesion.
Although rare, ETT should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained respiratory symptoms to prevent misdiagnosis and permit effective, minimally invasive treatment options such as endoscopic resection, which can significantly improve patient outcomes.
异位甲状腺组织（ETT）是一种罕见的先天性异常，由甲状腺组织胚胎期异常迁移所致，导致其出现在气管前正常位置以外的地方。这种情况会带来诊断挑战，尤其是当位于气道内时，因为它会模仿哮喘等其他呼吸系统疾病。
我们报告一例69岁男性气管内ETT患者，表现为严重呼吸困难，病变最初怀疑为恶性。通过支气管镜检查和组织病理学检查确诊为ETT。患者接受了成功的内镜介入治疗，症状显著改善，气道病变完全消退。
尽管罕见，但在不明原因呼吸道症状的鉴别诊断中应考虑ETT，以防止误诊，并采用有效的微创治疗方案，如内镜切除，这可显著改善患者预后。
