1/2. Fine-needle aspiration of a paraesophageal diverticulum masquerading as a thyroid nodule.Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a widely utilized cost-effective method for the initial evaluation and triage of thyroid nodules. On occasion, a variety of non-thyroidal lesions can be mistaken for thyroid nodules on physical examination or in imaging studies and aspirated. Paraesophageal/ pharyngoesophageal diverticula masquerading as a thyroid nodule have been reported in the radiology literature but, as far as we know, not in the cytology literature. We describe FNA of a paraesophageal diverticulum that had been reported as a thyroid nodule on ultrasound. Cytologists should be familiar with this entity and suggest the diagnosis when appropriate.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical examination, physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/2. Differential movement during swallowing as an aid in the detection of thyroid pseudonodules.The clinical examination of neck masses is clearly imperfect and false-positive detection of thyroid nodules, termed "pseudonodules," remains a common problem. movement on swallowing has been emphasized as a highly specific feature of thyroid masses, but lesions in the vicinity of the thyroid can be displaced by underlying structures during deglutition, causing them to mimic thyroid nodules. Two cases are presented to illustrate how additional features of neck mass movement can help determine whether a lesion is located within the thyroid or whether it is extrathyroidal. These include the range of motion of the mass, the presence or absence of a stationary phase prior to descent, and the timing of the movements of the mass. Assessment of these parameters during the physical examination of anterior neck masses may help reduce the incidence of thyroid pseudonodules.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical examination, physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |