Failure in the embryological development of the thyroid in adults is rarely seen. We present the case of a 79-year-old female patient who complained of dysphagia and progressive upper respiratory obstruction, which started 12 months prior to her admission. An ENT clinical exam revealed a tongue base, spherical, well-defined tumour covered by normal mucosa. Further assessments established the diagnosis of the tongue base ectopic thyroid tissue. Due to the patient’s symptoms, a transhyoid tongue base tumour removal was performed. The selected patient gave consent for participation and inclusion in this paper, in compliance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis is an atypical, multisystem disease with unknown etiology that generally affects both genders equally, with a predominance in the Caucasian racial group for individuals in their fourth decade. The disease affects the small vessels of the respiratory system, lungs, and kidneys. ENT manifestations are common, but ocular involvement is also frequent and can occur as an initial harbinger of the disease. The signs and symptoms of the disease are non-pathognomonic and sometimes localized, but it carries a poor prognosis if left untreated. Early diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis can be difficult and is established by a clinical examination along with laboratory tests for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and anatomopathological exam results that showcase necrosis, granulomatous inflammation, and vasculitis. Although the ocular involvement is not life threatening, it can cause blindness and may also be a sign of the active form of this systemic fatal disease. Treatment strategies involving immunosuppression and adjuvant therapies improve the prognosis. In this article we present a rare case of a patient diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis in our ENT department in 2003, with a follow-up for19 years in our clinic.

Developing in a limited space, rare tumors located at the nose and paranasal sinuses are sometimes difficult to diagnose due to their modest clinical presentation, which is uncorrelated with anatomopathological diversity. This limits the preoperative diagnosis without added immune histochemical study; for that reason, we present our experience with these tumors with the intention of raising awareness. The patient included in our study was investigated by our department through clinical and endoscopic examination, imaging investigations, and an anatomic-pathological study. The selected patient gave consent for participation and inclusion in this research study in compliance with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki.