Background Papillary thyroid carcinoma is rarely associated with metastatic disease. The most common sites of metastasis are the lungs and bones, while only few cases of ovarian metastasis are described in literature. Case We report the case of a 51 years old woman, treated 9 years before for papillary thyroid carcinoma, presenting to our Institute with a pelvic ovarian mass revealed by ultrasound imaging. After bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, the histologic examination detected a left ovarian metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma. Conclusion Even if the diagnosis of ovarian metastasis from thyroid carcinoma is often controversial, it should be considered when a woman with an ovarian lesion of unknown origin, has a personal history of malignant thyroid disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]