Mixed Medullary-follicular-derived carcinomas of the thyroid gland

Adv Anat Pathol. 2010 Jul;17(4):282-5. doi: 10.1097/PAP.0b013e3181e4ab3e.

Abstract

Tumors of the thyroid are subclassified based on the cell of origin and commonly include follicular-derived tumors and C-cell-derived tumors. The most common follicular-derived tumors are papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma, whereas the malignant C-cell-derived tumor is medullary thyroid carcinoma. Rare cases in the literature describe patients who have follicular-derived and C-cell-derived tumors in the same thyroid gland. These can be synchronous but anatomically separate carcinomas, or they can show some mixing of the 2 components. The mixture may be at an interface, as in collision tumors, or can be throughout the entire lesion, as in true mixed medullary-follicular-derived carcinomas. The clinical, histologic, and molecular features of these mixed tumors and the classification guidelines are reviewed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Medullary / complications
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / epidemiology
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular / complications
  • Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular / epidemiology
  • Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular / pathology
  • Humans
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology*