Parasitic thyroid nodules are separated thyroid nodules from the main thyroid gland located in the lateral neck area. Diagnosing thyroid tissue outside its usual place can be intricate. We present a rare case of a patient with parasitic thyroid nodule.

We present a clinical case of a 33-year-old woman with a clinical history of euthyroid multinodular goiter. The patient was referred by her attending physician due to the development of compressive symptoms (mild fluid dysphagia). Physical examination revealed bilateral nodules of elastic characteristics mobile with deglutition, without cervical adenopathy. Cervical ultrasonography confirmed the presence of multinodular goiter with two larger nodules (33mm on the right lobe and 38mm on the left lobe), both TIRADS 3. Subsequent fine needle aspiration biopsy characterized both nodules as Bethesta II. Due to progressive compressive symptoms, and after discussing therapeutic options, the patient was proposed for total thyroidectomy.

Intraoperatively, during the exploration of the left lobectomy site, the presence of an ectopic thyroid nodule of soft consistency and completely independent of the gland and unrelated to the path of the left laryngeal recurrent nerve was identified and resect. The surgery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged the day after surgery without complications. The histopathological study confirmed the presence of ectopic thyroid tissue in the nodule.

We concluded that exploring the thyroidectomy site to exclude parasitic nodules is essential to avoid the persistence of potentially malignant thyroid tissue.