Abstract
The rare event of a single cutaneous metastasis occurred in a 37-year-old white man two years after a subtotal thyroidectomy for sporadic medullary carcinoma is reported. The endocrine nature of the tumor is revealed by the ultrastructural study, and the type of secretion by the biochemical assay of calcitonin (CT) in the serum and in the tumor tissue extract and by the PAP (peroxidase-anti-peroxidase) technique with anti-CT antibodies on paraffin sections. The cytological and histological findings are described. Some peculiar ultrastructural aspects are presented in details. The fact that the patient received a course of Rx therapy (3,000 rads) on the neck for cervical syringomyelia at the age of 20 years is stressed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Tashjan A.H., Jr., Voelkel E.F. Human calcitonin: application of affinity chromatography. In: Jaffer J.M., Behrman H.R. (Eds.), Methods of hormone radioimmunoassay. New York, Academic Press, 1974.
Iwanaga T., Koyama H., Uchiyama S., Takahashi Y., Nakano S., Itoh T., Horai T., Wada A., Tateishi R. Production of several substances by medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. Cancer 41: 1106, 1978.
DeGroot L.J., Paloyan E. Thyroid carcinoma and radiation. A Chicago endemic. J.A.M.A. 225: 487, 1973.
Refetoff S., Harrison J., Karanfilski B.I., Kaplan E.L., DeGroot L.J., Bekerman C. Continuing occurrence of thyroid carcinoma after irradiation to the neck in infancy and childhood. N. Engl. J. Med. 292: 171, 1975.
Maxon H.R., Thomas S.R., Saenger E.L., Buncher C.R., Kereiakes J.G. Ionizing irradiation and the induction of clinically significant disease in the human thyroid gland. Am. J. Med. 63: 967, 1977.
Shore R.E., Woodard E.D., Pasternack B.S., Hempelmann L.H. Radiation and host factors in human thyroid tumors following thymus irradiation. Health Phys. 38: 451, 1980.
Roudebush C.P., Asteris G.T., DeGroot L.J. Natural history of radiation-associated thyroid cancer. Arch. Intern. Med. 138: 1631, 1978.
Schneider A.B., Favus M.J., Stackura M.E., Arnold J., Arnold M.J., Frohman L.A. Incidence, prevalence and characteristics of radiation-induced thyroid tumors. Am. J. Med. 64: 243, 1978.
Block M.A. Surgery of irradiated gland for possible carcinoma: criteria, technique, results. In: DeGroot L.J., Frohman L.A., Kaplan E.L., Refetoff S. (Eds.), Radiation associated thyroid carcinoma. Grune & Stratton, New York, 1977, p. 353.
Triggs S.M., Williams E. Experimental carcinogenesis in the rat thyroid follicular and C cells. Acta Endocrinol. (Kbh.) 85: 84, 1977.
Thurston V., Williams E. The effect of radiation on thyroid C cells. Acta Endocrinol. (Kbh.) 99: 72, 1982.
Gould V.E., Johannessen J.V., Sobrinho-Simoes M. The thyroid gland. In: Johannessen J.V. (Ed.), Electron microscopy in human medicine. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1981, vol. 10, p. 29.
Gould V.E., Dardi L.E., Memoli V.A., Johannessen J.V. Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the skin: light microscopic, ultrastructural and immuohistochemical analysis. Ultrastruct. Pathol. 1: 499, 1980.
Silva E., Mackay B. Neuroendocrine (Merkel Cell) carcinomas of the skin: an ultrastructural study of nine cases. Ultrastruct. Pathol. 2: 1, 1981.
Johannessen J.V., Gould V.E. Neuroendocrine skin carcinoma associated with calcitonin production: a Merkel cell carcinoma? Hum. Pathol. 11 (Suppl.): 586, 1980.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work has been supported by a Grant from CNR, Rome, Italy: Progetto Finalizzato Oncologia, Sottoprogetto 10.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bevilacqua, G., Mariotti, S., Castagna, M. et al. Cutaneous metastasis of a radiation-associated thyroid medullary carcinoma. J Endocrinol Invest 7, 653–657 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03349501
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03349501