Delayed management of a huge thyroid mass: how to avoid a disaster

A rare case of a huge mass in the thyroid gland that developed in a 45-year-old man who presented with a diffuse neck mass is discussed. Imaging showed a large mass in the neck, with no extra thyroid extension. A preoperative diagnosis was made by fine-needle aspiration as suspicious for tuberculosis or malignancy. Open surgical excision biopsy yielded a definitive diagnosis of thyroid mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma.