Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2001 Jan;44(1):116-118.

A Case of Concurrent Medullary and Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroid Gland

• Choi HS
• Lim YC
• Kim JY
• Chung TY

Abstract

The simultaneous occurrence of two distinct neoplasms derived from different cells of origin is sometimes recognized. In the thyroid gland, two such distinct tumors could consist of a concurrent medullary carcinoma composed of parafollicular C cells and well-differentiated carcinoma showing follicular epithelial cell differentiation. We report a rare, interesting case of concurrent medullary and papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. A 53-year-old female underwent total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection for medullary carcinoma of the left lobe of the thyroid gland, which was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology and a high level of calcitonin. The left lobe showed a medullary carcinoma. The right lobe incidentally showed an papillary microcarcinoma. Two lymph nodes contain metastasis of medullary carcinoma. The two different tumor cells revealed the characteristic features of each on the microscopic, histochemical findings. We report a case of concurrent medullary and papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland, with a review of the previously reported literature.

Keyword

Thyroid carcinoma; Medullary thyroid carcinoma; Papillary thyroid carcinoma

MeSH Terms

Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Calcitonin
Carcinoma, Medullary
Carcinoma, Papillary*
Epithelial Cells
Female
Humans
Lymph Nodes
Middle Aged
Neck Dissection
Neoplasm Metastasis
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroidectomy
Calcitonin