Ectopic thyroid

What it means

Mislocalised thyroid gland.

An aberrant or ectopic thyroid gland may occur anywhere along the path of initial descent of the thyroid. A total failure to descend contrasts with the incomplete descent of the thyroid, in which case the resulting final resting point of the gland may be high in the neck or just below the hyoid bone. Apart from an abnormal descent, accessory thyroid tissue can also occur, arising from remnants of the thyroglossal duct anywhere along the path of the thyroglossal duct tract.

Rare diseases that can present with this4

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Aberrant thyroid · Aberrant thyroid gland · Ectopic thyroid gland · Heteropic thyroid gland