Schwannoma of the thyroid bed is extremely rare, but is known to simulate a thyroid nodule. A retrospective review is reported of a 64-year-old female patient with a thyroid nodule who had been submitted to pre-operative fine-needle aspiration biopsy, judged inadequate, following which total thyroidectomy was performed. On histological examination, the nodule (in the thyroid bed) was found to be a schwannoma. This case report stresses the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Better co-operation between surgeon, pathologist and radiologist may have led to correct pre-operative diagnosis with sparing of at least half the thyroid.
Gli schwannomi della regione tiroidea sono molto rari, in genere simulano un molto più frequente nodulo tiroideo. Nel caso clinico presentato, il paziente è stato sottoposto a tiroidectomia totale dopo FNAB giudicati inadeguati ai fini della diagnosi. L’esame istologico (e la revisione degli esami citologici) ha deposto per uno schwannoma. Questo caso clinico sottolinea l’importanza della collaborazione fra chirurgo, anatomo-patologo e radiologo.