[Malignant germinal tumors of the thyroid. 2 cases]

Malignant germinal tumours of the thyroid gland are exceptional. Two cases are reported here. The first case concerned an 8-year old girl who had a teratoma; she was treated by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy; 4 years after the diagnosis she is still alive and in complete remission. The second case is that of a 21-year old woman with a vitelline sac tumour treated by surgery and radiotherapy; she soon had lung metastases and died. The diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic aspects of malignant germinal tumours of the thyroid gland are presented, together with data from a review of the literature. The authors insist on the importance of marker assays for all thyroid tumours with suspicious cytology. These tumours should be treated by surgery and initial chemotherapy combined, just as malignant germinal tumours located in other organs.