Aeromedical evaluation and successful return to flight in a military pilot with lingual thyroid: a case report and follow-up.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lingual thyroid is a rare congenital anomaly resulting from the aberrant migration of thyroid tissue during embryonic development. Although frequently asymptomatic, its identification in military aircrew poses particular challenges given the rigorous standards of aeromedical certification.

Case presentation

A 37-year-old male military helicopter pilot was incidentally diagnosed with lingual thyroid during routine health screening. The patient remained asymptomatic throughout the clinical course. Comprehensive evaluations-including thyroid function tests, biochemical profiling, cervical magnetic resonance imaging, electronic laryngoscopy, radionuclide scanning, and portable sleep monitoring-confirmed the presence of a lingual thyroid with subclinical hypothyroidism

SUBMITTER: Li P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12486761 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature