Hemangioma of the Thyroid

Introduction: Thyroid hemangioma is very rare, and only a few cases have previously been reported. We encountered a patient with thyroid hemangioma diagnosed after surgery. Case Report: A 71 year old woman visited our hospital with a mass in the left thyroid region. A 5 cm, elastic mass of the thyroid was palpable in the left anterior neck. On cytology by fine needle aspiration (FNA), the specimen mainly contained blood components without apparent atypical cells. A tumor with abundant blood flow was suspected based on Doppler ultrasonography. Adenomatous goiter was suspected, and subtotal thyroidectomy was performed. A blood clot was present in the tumor, and hemangioma was diagnosed on postoperative histopathological examination. Discussion: Preoperative diagnosis of thyroid hemangioma is difficult. However, Doppler ultrasonography and FNA are useful for diagnosis. A differential diagnosis of hemangioma should be considered when blood flow is abundant and only blood components are collected.