A 35-year-old woman underwent thoracic esophagectomy because of esophageal cancer, during which the stomach had been pulled up through the esophageal bed. She had also undergone subtotal thyroidectomy 5 years earlier because of nodular goiter. Focal uptake was seen at the level of the incisura sternalis on the control Tc-99m pertechnetate thyroid image, indicating ectopic thyroid tissue. On thoracic images taken after she drank water to exclude salivary activity in the esophagus, the uptake at the level of the incisura sternalis was shown to be related to the intrathoracic stomach. The surgery resulting in intrathoracic stomach may cause a false appearance of ectopic or retrosternal thyroid tissue.
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