Metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma: A case report

Medullary thyroid carcinoma accounts for 4% of thyroid carcinoma and originates from parafollicular cells, secreting calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Conventional radiographic modalities such as Computerized Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Ultrasonography (U/S), are used for detecting recurrences following total thyroidectomy. However, metastatic disease frequently escapes detection by the above modalities, even when its presence is suggested by persistently elevated serum calcitonin levels. In this paper, we report a case of medullary thyroid carcinoma in a 40 year-old woman who had whole body octreotide scintigraphy to evaluate and detect the origin of calcitonin and CEA secretion.