Mixed medullary-papillary carcinoma of the thyroid: a case report. 2010

Christian P Hasney, and Ronald G Amedee
Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. chasney@tulane.edu

With fewer than 40 cases described in the otolaryngology literature, mixed medullary papillary thyroid carcinoma represents a rare but phenotypically distinct tumor. While isolated medullary carcinoma may be admixed with normal follicular structures, true mixed carcinoma displays morphological and immunological characteristics of medullary and papillary carcinoma within a single lesion. We report the case of a 73-year old woman initially evaluated for a multinodular thyroid goiter. The patient denied a family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or other endocrine neoplasms. Fine needle aspiration of a nodule of the thyroid isthmus suggested a follicular neoplasm with abundant Hurthle cells and colloid present. Considering these findings, the patient underwent a left thyroid lobectomy with isthmusectomy. Histopathological analysis of the surgical specimen revealed a medullary thyroid carcinoma measuring 0.4 cm in size. Within this lesion, a distinct focus of papillary thyroid carcinoma, follicular variant, measuring 0.1 cm was also identified. Mixed medullary-papillary thyroid carcinoma is a rare clinical entity but merits consideration in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules particularly in patients with a family history of thyroid malignancy. The foundation of treatment of this lesion is total thyroidectomy with central compartment node dissection in the clinically N0 neck and dissection of levels II-VII in the node-positive neck.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002291 Carcinoma, Papillary A malignant neoplasm characterized by the formation of numerous, irregular, finger-like projections of fibrous stroma that is covered with a surface layer of neoplastic epithelial cells. (Stedman, 25th ed) Carcinomas, Papillary,Papillary Carcinoma,Papillary Carcinomas
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D013964 Thyroid Neoplasms Tumors or cancer of the THYROID GLAND. Cancer of Thyroid,Thyroid Cancer,Cancer of the Thyroid,Neoplasms, Thyroid,Thyroid Adenoma,Thyroid Carcinoma,Adenoma, Thyroid,Adenomas, Thyroid,Cancer, Thyroid,Cancers, Thyroid,Carcinoma, Thyroid,Carcinomas, Thyroid,Neoplasm, Thyroid,Thyroid Adenomas,Thyroid Cancers,Thyroid Carcinomas,Thyroid Neoplasm
D013965 Thyroidectomy Surgical removal of the thyroid gland. (Dorland, 28th ed) Thyroidectomies
D018198 Mixed Tumor, Malignant A malignant tumor composed of more than one type of neoplastic tissue. (Dorland, 27th ed) Malignant Mixed Tumor,Malignant Mixed Tumors,Mixed Tumors, Malignant,Tumor, Malignant Mixed,Tumors, Malignant Mixed
D018276 Carcinoma, Medullary A carcinoma composed mainly of epithelial elements with little or no stroma. Medullary carcinomas of the breast constitute 5%-7% of all mammary carcinomas; medullary carcinomas of the thyroid comprise 3%-10% of all thyroid malignancies. (From Dorland, 27th ed; DeVita Jr et al., Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology, 3d ed, p1141; Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992) Carcinomas, Medullary,Medullary Carcinoma,Medullary Carcinomas

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