Thyroid carcinoma metastatic to the skin: a cutaneous manifestation of a widely disseminated malignancy.

Abstract

Cutaneous metastases develop in 2% to 9% of patients with an internal malignancy. Thyroid carcinoma metastatic to the skin is a rare clinical entity. Our purpose was to study the clinical and pathologic features and outcome in patients with cutaneous metastasis from thyroid carcinoma. The study included a retrospective analysis of six patients with skin metastases from thyroid carcinoma and a review of the English-language literature since 1964. Including our six patients, 43 patients with skin metastases from thyroid carcinoma have been reported. Papillary carcinoma was the most common (41%), followed by follicular (28%), anaplastic (15%), and medullary carcinomas (15%). The scalp was the most common site of metastasis. For our patients, the average length of survival after diagnosis of cutaneous metastasis was 19 months. Cutaneous metastasis from thyroid carcinoma is rare and occurs in the setting of disseminated neoplastic disease.