Carcinoembronic antigen and endocrine response in a patient with Sipple's syndrome following surgery

Circulating carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), calcitonin (CT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and levels in tissue extracts of a patients with Sipple's syndrome were measured simultaneously. Biofocal medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland (MCT), left adrenal phaeochromocytoma and ectopic para-aortal phaeochromocytoma had been removed in the first operation. Total thyroidectomy was performed thereafter. Evidence has been presented showing that (1) the first operation lowered the elevated serum levels of CEA and CT, and levels of CEA and CT in tissue extracts of MCT were considerably higher than those of tumor-uninvolved thyroid tissue and phaeochromocytomas; (2) markedly elevated levels of plasma ACTH were normalized by the first surgery and, in addition, immunoreactive ACTH and beta-melanocyte stimulating hormone (beta-MSH) were detected in the phaeochromocytomas removed. This is a documented case of the simultaneous production of CT and CEA by MCT associated with ectopic secretion of ACTH and beta-MSH from the phaeochromocytomas without manifesting clinical features of Cushing's syndrome and is based on the findings referred to above.