Unexpected conversion from hypothyroidism to an euthyroid state due to Graves’ disease in a patient with an ectopic thyroid

A 15-year-old woman was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and unilateral ectopic thyroid. Levothyroxine treatment was introduced; however, the patient was non-compliant and took the medication irregularly. When she presented to an endocrinologist at the age of 30, she had not been using levothyroxine for at least 6 months. Surprisingly, she was clinically and biochemically euthyroid. Due to decreased echogenicity on ultrasound examination, enhanced vascularization on Color Doppler examination and increased concentration of anti-TSH receptor autoantibodies, she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease. Eventually, she underwent total thyroidectomy due to diagnosis of follicular neoplasm in fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the focal lesion found in the thyroid gland. To our knowledge, our patient is the first described with ectopic thyroid, presenting a nodular variant of Graves’ disease and no signs of orbitopathy, who was initially hypothyroid and became euthyroid in the course of autoimmune thyroid disease. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12020-013-0117-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.