Summary
The study concerns a metastatic ganglion of a medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland which had been developping for nine years in a sixteen year-old girl. The chief clinical symptoms were motor diarrhoea and flush syndrom. The histological study confirmed the special structure of this tumor with an amyloid stroma. The electron microscopical study showed granules with neuro-secretory aspect in cytoplasm and fibrils which seem to be excreted in the intercellular substance participating in the elaboration of the amyloid. Since William's studies in 1966, it has been generally accepted that this carcinoma might originate from the C cells or parafollicular cells, secreting thyrocalcitonin. This secretory activity does not explain the symptoms which are often associated, primarily diarrhoea. One may suspect the association of thyrocalcitonin with vasopressive substances such as kinines, serotonin or 5 H.T.P.
Résumé
L'étude concerne la métastase ganglionnaire d'un carcinome médullaire de la thyroïde, évoluant depuis 9 ans, chez une jeune fille de 16 ans. Le tableau clinique était dominé par l'existence d'une diarrhée motrice et d'un flush syndrome. L'examen histologique a confirmé la structure particulière de cette tumeur à stroma amyloïde. La microscopie électronique montre des grains d'aspect neurosécrétoire dans le cytoplasme, et des fibrilles qui semblent être excrétées dans le milieu extracellulaire et participer à la formation de l'amyloïde. Il est généralement admis, depuis les travaux de Williams (1966) que ce carcinome dériverait des cellules C ou parafolliculaires, sécrétant la thyrocalcitonine. Cette activité sécrétoire ne rend pas compte des symptômes souvent associés, en particulier de la diarrhée; on peut suspecter l'association à la thyrocalcitonine de substances à activité vasopressive, telles que les kinines, la sérotonine ou la 5 hydroxytryptamine.
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Amouroux, J., Bernier, J.J., Rambaud, J.C. et al. Etude optique et ultrastucturale d'un cas de carcinome médullaire de la thyroide. Z Krebs-forsch 74, 122–130 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00525878
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00525878