Clinical presentation: a 56-year old woman was referred for an evaluation because a sonographic examination disclosed a nodule in the left lobe. The patient underwent subtotal lobectomy 12 years earlier. She had no complaints, she was euthyroid.

Ultrasonography: disclosed an intact small left lobe with the esophagus.

Comment: in a normal situation we have no problem to identify a hypoechogenic, inhomogeneous mass dorsal to the left thyroid as the esophagus. However, in operated thyroid it may cause problem if we do not perform the longitudinal scan on the sonographic examination.