Abstract
Objective: To present 3 cases of black thyroid syndrome discovered intraoperatively in association with prior and current minocycline use.
Method: This is a case series of 3 cases between 2009 and 2012 at a tertiary care referral center where a darkly pigmented (black) thyroid was identified intraoperatively. Retrospective chart review was performed for each of these cases to review pathology, intraoperative findings, and patient history.
Results: From other studies conducted, black thyroid has been found to be highly associated with the use of the drug minocycline. In reviewing our cases of black thyroid, it was discovered that each patient had taken or was currently taking minocycline. All cases were found incidentally intraoperatively. One case was associated with thyroid carcinoma, while the others did not have pathology consistent with neoplasm. The first case was noted during a total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma, the second case during a parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism, and the last case during a partial left thyroidectomy for thyroid goiter.
Conclusion: While other causes of black thyroid have been suggested, the most common cause of black thyroid, minocycline use, held true in the 3 cases presented. There have been recent reports of a linked association with black thyroid and carcinoma which warrants further investigation.
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