Metastatic thyroid carcinoma presented as a large craniofacial mass: Case report and CT findings

Cranial metastases are uncommon locations of thyroid papillary carcinoma. They significantly reduce patients’ survival, especially in a context of late management. We report the case of a 46-year-old woman who presented an anterior cervical swelling, then a progressive large craniofacial mass for more than 5 years without any treatment. The imaging performed showed a large craniofacial tissue mass with frontotemporal and right orbital bone destruction extended to the face sinuses and the underlying extradural space without brain involvement; the second thyroid tumor right site had similar imaging characteristics to the cranial mass. The diagnosis of papillary carcinoma with craniofacial metastasis was retained after cranial biopsy and thyroid cytology. At this stage, a cranial surgery has not been proposed but a palliative hormonal treatment. The patient died 2 weeks after diagnosis. This case illustrates the relevant role of imaging in the assessment of thyroid tumors and the value of early management for improving patients’ survival.