Cytologic Features of Medullary Carcinoma of the Thyroid Occurring in a Child - A Case Report -

소아에서 발생한 갑상선 수질암종 - 1예 보고 -

  • Moon, Jeong-Seok (Department of Pathology, Korea University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Hye-Sun (Department of Pathology, Korea University College of Medicine) ;
  • Cho, Seong-Jin (Department of Pathology, Korea University College of Medicine) ;
  • Chae, Yang-Seok (Department of Pathology, Korea University College of Medicine) ;
  • Yeom, Bom-Woo (Department of Pathology, Korea University College of Medicine)
  • 문정석 (고려대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 김혜선 (고려대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 조성진 (고려대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 채양석 (고려대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 염범우 (고려대학교 의과대학 병리학교실)
  • Published : 1996.12.30

Abstract

Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland is a malignant neuroendocrine tumor arising from calcitonin producing-parafollicular cells. The tumor is clinically divided into sporadic and familial form, constituting about 80% and 20%, respectively. Recently, we experienced a case of unilateral and solitary sporadic medullary carcinoma of the left thyroid gland. The patient was a 9 year-old female, who presented with a palpable mass on the anterior lateral neck of 8 months duration without any familial and personal history of neuroendocrine disease. The cytopathologic findings showed spindle cells and plasmacytoid cells in the background of colloid-like materal. The nuclei were eccentrically located, mildly hyperchromatic and pleomorphic, showing speckled chromatin pattern without nuclear inclusion or prominent nucleoli. The cytoplasm was abundant and had a pale granular cyanophilic appearance. No amyloid materal could be identified.

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