Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid presenting as multifocal bronchial carcinoid tumour

A 21 year old man presented with diarrhoea and flushing after meals and later developed miliary shadowing on his chest radiograph. Multifocal bronchial carcinoid tumour was diagnosed initially, but at necropsy metastatic medullary carcinoma of the thyroid was found. Multifocal bronchial carcinoid tumour should not be accepted as a primary diagnosis without first excluding medullary carcinoma of the thyroid because of the need to screen relatives of affected patients.