Primary Care Otolaryngology

Chapter 15

Lymphoma Thyroid lymphoma is a rapidly growing tumor, which frequently compro- mises the airway and clinically resembles anaplastic carcinoma. Lymphomas may arise in patients with a background of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an auto- immune condition characterized by lymphocytic infiltration, but that’s a very uncommon correlation. Thyroid lymphomas are most commonly B-cell. A rapid diagnosis and institution of appropriate therapy are neces- sary to prevent airway obstruction. Treatment and cure are usually achieved by using a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. This brief discussion on thyroid cancer does not include a discourse on surgery of the thyroid gland. This would include such subjects as surgery for hyperthyroidism, which can occur with a toxic nodular goiter and Graves’ disease. These conditions can also be treated medically using radioactive iodine-131, but further discussion is beyond the scope of this book.

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Primary Care Otolaryngology