Non-traumatic rupture of the superior thyroid artery with concomitant parathyroid adenoma and multinodular goiter

Abstract

Cervical hemorrhage due to non-traumatic, spontaneous rupture of the thyroid artery is rare, which usually results from arterial abnormalities or parathyroid or thyroid disorders. This report describes a 72-year-old woman who presented with a sore throat and slight neck swelling. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a large hematoma in the neck and mediastinum, due to extravasation from the major branch of the left superior thyroid artery. A follow-up CT the next day demonstrated that the extravasation had resolved. Subsequent surgery revealed both parathyroid adenoma and multinodular goiter in the resected thyroid gland. A transient elevation of parathyroid hormone occurred immediately after the hemorrhage, suggesting that the hemorrhage may have been related to the parathyroid adenoma. However, ruptured thyroid arteries were not observed on histopathological examination of the resected tissue.