A case report of simultaneous medullary and papillary carcinoma of thyroid

Abstract

Abstract Objective. Medullary (MTC) and papillary (PTC) thyroid carcinoma are two different types of thyroid carcinoma with significant differences in origin. Their co-occurrence in a patient is a rare phenomenon. We report a patient with simultaneous presentation of both MTC and PTC. Case presentation. A 62-year-old euthyroid woman with a cervical mass was evaluated, underwent total thyroidectomy, and neck dissection. The examination revealed a MTC large nodule as well as a small nodule of the tall cell variant of PTC, along with the concomitant cervical lymph node metastases. Subsequently, the genetic analysis showed BRAF mutations. Adjuvant treatments including radioiodine and thyroid hormone replacement therapies were performed for the patient. Conclusions. The cooccurrence of MTC and PTC in the same patient is a rare phenomenon. The clinical manifestations and biological behavior of these cancers are completely different. Since the therapeutic strategy and prognosis are very different in these patients, accurate diagnosis of this coexistence is very important.