Ectopic thyroid tissue in the submandibular region is exceptionally rare. Nevertheless, the treating physician should consider this condition within the differential diagnosis of a submandibular mass.

Case report of ectopic thyroid tissue presenting as a submandibular mass in a patient with hyperthyroidism, together with a review of the English-literature concerning ectopic thyroid tissue.

To our knowledge, this is the first report of ectopic thyroid tissue presenting as a submandibular mass and causing hyperthyroidism. Removal of the submandibular mass resulted in normalisation of thyroid function, and subsequent reduction in the patient's antithyroid medication dosage. Ectopic thyroid tissue should be suspected in any patient with a submandibular mass. Prior to resection of such a lesion, it is essential to ensure that normal, functioning thyroid tissue is present elsewhere. Ectopic thyroid tissue can also present with pathology similar to that affecting the normal thyroid gland.

We describe the first published case of papillary thyroid carcinoma metastatic to the temporal bone.

A 64-year-old woman presented with a large left temporal bone mass centred in the jugular foramen, initially thought to be a paraganglioma or schwannoma. She was simultaneously being investigated for a left-sided thyroid nodule, which was found to be unremarkable on repeated fine needle aspiration cytology. A biopsy of the temporal bone mass indicated that it was of thyroid origin. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy, which enabled a final diagnosis of follicular-variant papillary thyroid carcinoma with metastasis to the temporal bone.

Although biopsy is not the usual management for many types of temporal bone mass, pathological investigation is recommended if the tumour has an atypical growth rate, location, spread and/or radiological features. Metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma to the skull base is extremely rare, and correct diagnosis is essential in order to pursue an effective treatment plan.