Killian-Jamieson diverticulum mimicking a calcified thyroid nodule on ultrasonography: A case report and literature review.

As a rare hypopharyngeal diverticulum, Killian-Jamieson diverticulum (KJD) is usually incidentally detected, small, asymptomatic and likely to be misdiagnosed as a thyroid nodule. In order to avoid unnecessary treatments resulting from misdiagnosis, principles to distinguish between esophageal diverticula and thyroid nodules should be noted clearly. The current study presents a case of an asymptomatic unilateral KJD that mimicked a calcified thyroid nodule. In the current case, a 40-year-old man presented with a 'suspected malignant thyroid nodule' in the left thyroid gland, and underwent left thyroid lobectomy and a neck exploration. However, no visible 'suspected tumor', but a sac protruding from the left anterolateral wall of the cervical esophagus, was observed during the surgery. A swallow test on ultrasonography (US) in combination with pharyngoesophagography was then performed, which confirmed the diagnosis. The patient recovered well during the 3-month follow-up after the operation. The present study indicates that real-time US and pharyngoesophagography are important techniques to distinguish a KJD from a thyroid nodule so that unnecessary surgical intervention can be avoided.