Cooccurrence of Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma andSalmonellaInduced Neck Abscess in a Cervical Lymph Node

Abstract

Cervical lymph node metastasis is common in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Salmonellaspecies are rarely reported as causative agents in focal infections of the head and neck. The cooccurrence of lymph node metastasis from PTC and a bacterial infection is rare. This report describes a 76-year-old woman with a cervical lymph node metastasis from PTC andSalmonellainfection of the same lymph node. The patient presented with painful swelling in her left lateral neck region for 15 days, and neck ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a cystic mass along left levels II–IV. The cystic mass was suspected of being a metastatic lymph node; modified radical neck dissection was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the presence of PTC in the resected node and laboratory examination of the combined abscess cavity confirmed the presence ofSalmonella Typhi. Following antibiotic sensitivity testing of the culturedSalmonella Typhi, she was treated with proper antibiotics. Cystic lesions in lymph nodes with metastatic cancer may indicate the presence of cooccurring bacterial infection. Thus, culturing of specimen can be option to make accurate diagnosis and to provide proper postoperative management.