BACKGROUND: Medullary thyroid cancer, a tumor of the parafollicular C cells, accounts for approximately 10% of all thyroid malignancies. An estimated 75% of cases are sporadic, and the remaining 25% are familial. METHODS: The author reviews the clinical features and diagnostic tests for this entity, as well as the surgical treatment of recurrent or persistent medullary carcinoma. RESULTS: Spora...

Cutaneous metastases from thyroid carcinoma are rare. This report describes four cases of thyroid carcinoma metastatic to the skin. Two cases were medullary carcinoma and two were papillary thyroid carcinoma. In two cases, skin metastases were the presenting feature of the underlying thyroid carcinoma. Examination of the skin lesions by conventional light microscopy suggested the possibility of...

BACKGROUND Single soft tissue metastasis of medullary thyroid carcinoma is extremely rare. In addition, several occult medullary thyroid carcinomas with distant metastasis were reported, but undetectable primary lesion at diagnosis was also extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION A 74-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of a painful nodule in his left buttock for over 1 year. Needle b...

Medullary thyroid carcinoma accounts for 4% of thyroid carcinoma and originates from parafollicular cells, secreting calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Conventional radiographic modalities such as Computerized Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Ultrasonography (U/S), are used for detecting recurrences following total thyroidectomy. However, metastatic disease fre...

The transformation of endodermal-derived thyroid follicular cells or neural crest– derived thyroid C cells leads to distinct types of cancer (Fig. 1). Follicular cells give rise to two main forms of differentiated thyroid cancer: papillary thyroid carcinoma and follicular thyroid carcinoma. Poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas are comparatively rare tumors that also arise fro...

Introduction: Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is an uncommon neoplasm originating from parafollicular C cells. Distant metastasis in MTC, such as axillary node involvement, is extremely rare.  Case Report: The present study describes a known case of MTC with axillary lymph node metastasis in a 31-year-old woman. In 2010, she underwent total thyroidectomy and right-sided modified radical neck dis...

Background. To evaluate the elevation rate of serum markers calcitonin (CT) and procalcitonin (ProCT) in patients with non-medullary benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Methods. Before surgery CT and ProCT were measured in sera from 168 patients with histologically proven benign thyroid nodules (n=107) and non-medullary thyroid carcinomas (n=61). Sera from 112 apparently healthy blood donors ...

BACKGROUND Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, such as dulaglutide, exenatide and liraglutide, are approved to treat Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although these drugs provide substantial glycaemic control, studies in rodents have prompted concerns about the development of medullary thyroid carcinoma. These data are reflected in the US package insert, with boxed warnings and product labellin...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) is most frequently caused by codon 634 activating mutations. Medullary thyroid carcinoma has occurred before the age of 2, with pheochromocytomas and primary hyperparathyroidism occurring later in childhood. We report cases of 4 siblings with C634Y-positive MEN 2A (all <11 years old): 3 with medullary thyroid carcinoma (1 had nodal metastasis, and a...

Ectopic production of CRH by a medullary thyroid carcinoma or its metastases is a rare cause of ectopic Cushing's syndrome (ECS). We report a 45-year old male with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), who, 24 years following the initial diagnosis, presented with clinical and biochemical evidence of an ACTH dependent Cushing's syndrome. Rapid deterioration of his clinical condition and elevated co...