Fatal outcome of an anaplastic thyroid tumour

Abstract

Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare form of thyroid cancer, known for its very poor prognosis, even with the appropriate management. It is very aggressive, with a tendency to invade locally and lymph node metastasis is often present at the time of diagnosis. We present an elderly patient, who presented with rapid enlarging neck mass, which, within weeks, led to his death. His family gave their consent to perform an autopsy, and here we describe and illustrate the profound aggressiveness of this tumour.