Ectopic thyroid gland simulating a thyroglossal duct cyst: a case report.

There have been many reports of the inadvertent removal of an ectopic thyroid gland that was mistaken for a thyroglossal duct cyst. The differentiation of these two conditions is extremely important, because inadvertent removal of an ectopic thyroid gland may result in profound hypothyroidism. The authors report the case of a 5-year-old girl with an ectopic thyroid gland in whom the preliminary diagnosis was a thyroglossal duct cyst. They review the embryologic features in the development of an ectopic thyroid gland and discuss an approach to the management of this congenital anomaly.