Medullary thyroid carcinoma metastatic to skin

Cutaneous metastases are a rarity, even more so when they arise from a medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) which accounts for only 8% of all thyroid cancers. MTC arises from C-cells that produce calcitonin, and it most commonly metastasizes to lymph nodes in the neck. Distant metastases of MTC may involve bone, lung and liver. We report a case of a 56-year-old man, who presented with an ulcerated, nodular lesion on his scalp that proved to be a metastasis from his MTC diagnosed 2 years earlier. Cutaneous metastases from MTC generally signify widespread disease and carry a poor prognosis. A case discussion and relevant review of the literature is provided.