Open AccessULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY OF THYROID MEDULLARY CARCINOMA
Author(s) -
Kakudo Kennichi,
Miyauchi Akira,
Katayama Shoichi
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
acta patholigica japonica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 0001-6632
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1977.tb00180.x
Subject(s) - calcitonin , medullary carcinoma , medullary cavity , pathology , thyroid , ultrastructure , hyperplasia , cytoplasmic inclusion , thyroid carcinoma , medicine , cytoplasm , endocrinology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
This study deals with 11 cases of thyroid medullary carcinoma of which 7 were familial cases including 3 cases of Sipple's syndrome and 4 cases of sporadic cases. There were also 2 cases of Cushing's syndrome. In addition to the previously described English literatures about human medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, the rod‐shaped body with cristae and an abundant glycogen particles in the cytoplasm, nuclear inclusion bodies of cytoplasmic invagination and microvilli at the surface membrane of gland formation were found in our cases. The mean and mode diameters of secretory granules of all familial cases with only calcitonin secretion were larger than those of the sporadic cases with ectopic AGTH and beta‐MSH in addition to calcitonin secretion. Ultrastructural study on non‐cancerous follicles of grossly normal thyroid of two cases of early familial medullary carcinoma disclosed apparently increased C‐cells which were not intrathyroidal metastases. It is supposed that the increased C‐cells in the thyroid of the familial cases are multicentric C‐cell hyperplasia. ACTA PATH. JAP. 27: 605˜622, 1977.