II. Epidemiology
- Most common ectopic Thyroid tissue (but rare overall)
III. Pathophysiology
- Failed developmental descent of Thyroid tissue
- Lingual Thyroid is often insufficient alone to provide adequate systemic Thyroid Hormone
- More than 70% have no additional Thyroid tissue in the normal anatomic position
- Hypothyroidism risk
- Lingual Tonsil may hypertrophy with certain conditions
- Upper Respiratory Infection
- Pregnancy
- Puberty
IV. Symptoms
V. Signs
- Round, smooth, red mass, non-tender at posterior midline Tongue base
VI. Differential Diagnosis
VII. Management
- Asymptomtic cases require no specific management (outside of evaluating Thyroid function)
- Symptomatic hypertrophy of the lingual Tonsil
- Thyroid Hormone Replacement may decrease Thyroid size
- Lingual Thyroid excision is typically avoided outside of airway obstruction
- Risk of severe Hypothyroidism
VIII. Complications
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Lingual Thyroid Carcinoma is rare
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| Definition (MSH) | A condition characterized by the presence of rudimentary THYROID tissue at the base of the TONGUE. It is due to failed embryonic development and migration of thyroid tissue to its normal location. The lingual thyroid usually cannot maintain adequate hormone production thereby resulting in HYPOTHYROIDISM. |
| Concepts | Congenital Abnormality (T019) |
| MSH | D046151 |
| SnomedCT | 129123002, 21279007 |
| Swedish | Lingual tyreoidea |
| Czech | linguální tyreoidea, Jazykový tyreoid |
| Finnish | Kielen tyven kilpirauhaskudos |
| Russian | IAZYCHNAIA RUDIMENTARNAIA SHCHITOVIDNAIA ZHELEZA, SHCHITOVIDNAIA ZHELEZA IAZYCHNAIA RUDIMENTARNAIA, ЩИТОВИДНАЯ ЖЕЛЕЗА ЯЗЫЧНАЯ РУДИМЕНТАРНАЯ, ЯЗЫЧНАЯ РУДИМЕНТАРНАЯ ЩИТОВИДНАЯ ЖЕЛЕЗА |
| Spanish | Tiroides lingual, glándula tiroides lingual (estructura corporal), glándula tiroides lingual, tiroides lingual (trastorno), tiroides lingual, Tiroides Lingual |
| Portuguese | Tireóide lingual, Tireoide Lingual |
| German | linguale Schilddruese, Zungengrundschilddrüse |
| Dutch | linguale schildklier, Schildklier, tong-, Tongschildklier |
| English | Lingual Thyroid [Disease/Finding], lingual thyroid, Lingual thyroid, Sublingual thyroid gland, Lingual thyroid (body structure), Lingual thyroid (disorder), Lingual Thyroids, Lingual Thyroid, Thyroid, Lingual, Thyroids, Lingual |
| Japanese | ｾﾞﾂﾌﾞｺｳｼﾞｮｳｾﾝ, 舌部甲状腺 |
| Polish | Tarczyca językowa, Tarczyca ektopowa językowa |
| Hungarian | Lingualis pajzsmirigy |
| Norwegian | Lingual thyroidea, Lingual tyroidea, Lingval thyroidea |
| French | Thyroïde linguale |
| Italian | Tiroide linguale |
