[Medullary cancer of the thyroid. Experience at the Hospital de Valdivia].

BACKGROUND

Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid is an infrequent type of thyroid tumor.

AIM

To retrospectively study all cases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid diagnosed at a regional hospital.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The charts and pathological studies of eight patients with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, among 75 with thyroidal cancer, were reviewed.

RESULTS

Solitary nodules were the presenting sign in seven patients and cachexia in one. Five patients were subjected to total thyroidectomy, five to cervical lymph node dissection and four to complementary radiotherapy. Pathological diagnosis was made with the surgical piece in seven patients and by aspiration cytology in one. Five of the eight patients are alive after 50 months of follow up as a mean, one patient with bone metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

The small sample size precludes conclusions on the prognosis and treatment of the disease.