RESUMEN
Paragangliomas are rare lesions of the endocrine system that can be treated either by embolization preoperatively followed by surgical excision or by surgical excision or radiotherapy. In this report, we present an extremely rare location of a nonfunctional paraganglioma in the head and neck region, located in the right supraclavicular fossa, which was misdiagnosed as a thyroid tumor, in a 72-year-old female patient. Imaging revealed a 2.5 × 4.5 × 2 cm well-defined vascularized mass. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) on the tumor was not diagnostic initially; however, a third attempt revealed thyroid cells suggesting the existence of an ectopic thyroid tumor. FNA was additionally performed on the right thyroid lobe, revealing atypical follicular colloid cells of the Bethesda 3 category. Therefore, the excision of the ectopic thyroid tumor along with right lobectomy was planned. No embolization was initiated preoperatively in this case. Histopathology revealed that the supraclavicular mass was a paraganglioma. Paragangliomas supplied by the subclavian, innominate, and common carotid artery are rarely reported, and to our knowledge, this is the third case to be reported worldwide.
RESUMEN
Several dietary factors have been associated with the occurrence of cancers of the oral cavity and oropharynx, larynx and oesophagus, collectively called upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancers, but the evidence is considered as inconclusive. We hypothesised that the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern may be more strongly inversely associated with UADT cancer risk than individual dietary components, and may explain the unexpectedly low incidence of these cancers in Greece. In the context of the European alcohol-related cancers and genetic susceptibility in Europe project, we have conducted a hospital-based case-control study in Athens, Greece, comparing 239 incident UADT cases and 194 hospital controls with admission diagnoses unrelated to tobacco, alcohol or diet. Adherence to Mediterranean diet was assessed through a widely used score, which ranges from 0 (minimal adherence) to 9 (maximal adherence) and increases with high consumption of plant foods and olive oil and low consumption of meat, dairy products and saturated lipids. Stricter adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a substantial and significant decrease in UADT cancer risk (30 % for a two-unit increase in score), whereas after mutual adjustment, no individual dietary component of this diet was significantly associated with this risk. Adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced risk of UADT cancers, and may explain the lower incidence of UADT cancers in Greece, in spite of the smoking and drinking habits of this population.