Suture granuloma mimicking recurrent thyroid carcinoma on ultrasonography

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Authors: Yong Eun Chung ; Eun-kyung Kim ; Min Jung Kim ; Mijin Yun ; Soon Won Hong

MeSH: Adult ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body/diagnosis* ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body/diagnostic imaging ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body/etiology ; Humans ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnosis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnostic imaging ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Sutures/adverse effects* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/diagnosis ; Thyroid Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology ; Thyroidectomy/adverse effects* ; Ultrasonography

Abstract: Although high resolution ultrasonography (US) is helpful in the differentiation of suture granulomas from recurrent thyroid cancer in most cases, a definite diagnosis cannot always be made. We report a case that mimicked recurrent thyroid cancer on US and 2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), but diagnosis of a suture granuloma was confirmed by a US-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). In order to avoid unnecessary operations, the differential diagnosis between postoperative suture granulomas and recurrent cancer is important.