Thyroidectomy for non-familial medullary carcinoma

✍ Scribed by W. E. W. Roediger

• Book ID: 101741255
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1976
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 321 KB
• Volume: 63
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-1323
• DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800630504

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Two cases of non-familial medullary carcinoma of the thyroid which had thyroid tissue remaining after initial thyroidectomy were shown to contain residual, intra-glandular carcinoma at reoperation. This observation, the distribution of C cells in the normal thyroid gland and the lymph node spread of this carcinoma have led to the proposal of a bilateral 90 per cent upper pole thyroidectomy including the superior parathyroids for cases of non-familial medullary carcinoma. This operation removes all the C-cell-bearing area and leaves a small thyroid remnant at the lower pole for preservation of the inferior parathyroid glands. The operation is discussed with reference to these factors.