[A patient with MEN-IIA syndrome due to de novo mutation and papillary thyroid carcinoma; the role of 99m Tc-depreotide in diagnosing metastases and brief review of the literature].

Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type II-A (MEN-IIA) is a rare endocrinological disorder occurring in 0.04% of the general population. The combination of papillary thyroid carcinoma with MEN-IIA appears even less frequently. We describe the case of a 21-year-old woman with pheochromocytoma of the left adrenal gland, medullary thyroid carcinoma, hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands and papillary thyroid carcinoma. MEN II-A syndrome resulted from de novo mutation of the RET proto-oncogene, which was detected in the DNA of peripheral blood leucocytes. Three months postoperatively calcitonin levels were normal, whilst increased serum thyroglobulin values prompted the need for further investigation. Whole body scanning with (131)I and with (99m)Tc-sestamibi and also US test of cervical lymph nodes, were negative. The synthetic analogue of somatostatin (99m)Tc-depreotide was used for whole body scintigraphy, cervical and thoracic tomographic scanning and revealed anterior cervical, upper mediastinal and right hilar foci of pathological uptake[Fig.1 and Table 1: see text]. These findings were compatible with findings from CT and MRI that followed in order to complete the diagnostic evaluation. The patient underwent surgical resection of the metastatic foci with uneventful postoperative course. Histology showed lymph node metastases originating from the papillary thyroid carcinoma. Ratio values >2 were abnormal (Fig. 2). Computer processing of the corresponding ROIs on healthy tissues produced the following normal values: Th/Arm: 1.874,, Med/Arm: 1.699, Hi/Arm: 1.141 (Fig. 3).