[Familial thyroid medullary carcinoma without associated neoplasms]

Each of three patients with thyroid medullary carcinoma (TMC) presents the tumor as a family feature. Most of them have other associated endocrinous neoplasias. Through the study of baseline plasmatic calcitonin and after stimulus with calcium and pentagastrin, patients with silent TMC can be detected. We present the results of the study of a family including 70 members and with hereditary TMC, between 1988 and 1992. Six new cases of TMC were diagnosed starting from the case index. Their average age was 31.7 years. Five of them underwent surgery. None of them had other associated endocrinous neoplasias, which is extremely rare. In addition, we present data on the postoperative follow-up of the patients, two of which had high calcitonin and CEA levels.